State partners with Telebras to bring broadband to schools.

Bahia 247 - The Secretary of Education of Bahia, Walter Pinheiro, signed this Wednesday (22) in Brasília a technical cooperation agreement with the president of Telebras, Jorge Bittar, to connect the schools of the state network, which operate in urban and rural areas, with the purpose of bringing digital content in broadband to students and teachers.

This initiative is part of the 'My Smarter School' program, developed by Telebras in partnership with the Ministries of Education and Science, Technology, Innovation and Communications.

"The difference lies not in the technology employed, since several private schools in the country already use it, but in the accessibility it brings to public schools," emphasizes Pinheiro. Knowledgeable in the telecommunications sector, the secretary also highlighted that the technical cooperation will allow for the dissemination of educational content targeted at students in the state school system through broadband.

IAT and 'System S'

The program's goal, which will expand access to broadband in Brazil, is to benefit 20 million students by 2019 and connect 30 public schools with an average speed of 78 megabits per second (Mbps). This action will facilitate the dissemination of content and access to information for students and teachers.

In Bahia, the project will also involve the Anísio Teixeira Institute (IAT), as a reference center for professional training. According to Pinheiro, another partner in the initiative will be the Sistema S, which will work in Professional Education with Technological Mediation.

"We began negotiations with the 'Sistema S' (a network of vocational training institutions) on the same day I took office as secretary, in a meeting we even had in Governor Rui Costa's office. With this, we will offer courses in schools with intensive use of innovative educational technologies, utilizing simulators, games, and cyber-scientific kits, which will be stimulating for students," said the head of Education.

Pilot project

Telebras is already conducting a pilot project of the program in Brasília, at the Elefante Branco High School (Cemeb), one of the oldest in the federal capital. Created in 1960, the school currently has 2.800 students.

On June 8th, Pinheiro and the State Secretary of Science, Technology and Innovation, Manoel Mendonça, visited Cemeb, along with the president of Telebras, to learn about the program already implemented at the school, allowing students and teachers a more interactive and dynamic class.