Cristovam argues for greater attention to basic education.
Senator Cristovam Buarque, from the PDT party in the Federal District, celebrated on Tuesday the approval by the Education, Culture and Sports Committee (CE) of his bill that transforms the Ministry of Education into the Ministry of Basic Education. The senator argues that the change is necessary because the federal government has given more importance to higher education than to basic education, a serious mistake in his opinion.
The Senate Agency - Federalizing primary education could be implemented with the creation of the Ministry of Basic Education or the Ministry of Children, Senator Cristovam Buarque (PDT-DF) suggested this Tuesday (12) in the Plenary.
He celebrated the approval, by the Education, Culture and Sports Committee (CE), of the bill he authored that transforms the Ministry of Education into the Ministry of Basic Education. This ministry would oversee early childhood education through high school, with higher education remaining the responsibility of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.
"We won't be able to make basic education a national priority until there's a national body that oversees basic education, and today we don't have one," he said.
Cristovam also commented that Brazil has a ministry "to take care of the fish," but does not have a federal ministry exclusively for early childhood education.
The Ministry of Education may only be responsible for basic education.
The Education, Culture and Sports Committee approved, this Tuesday (12), a project that transforms the Ministry of Education into the Ministry of Basic Education, which will be responsible for early childhood education up to high school. According to the text, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation will regulate higher education. The matter goes to the Constitution, Justice and Citizenship Committee (CCJ).
Senator Cristovam Buarque (PDT-DF), author of PLS 518/2009, argues that the change is necessary because the federal government has given more importance to higher education than to basic education, a serious mistake in his opinion.
The rapporteur in the CE, Senator Aloysio Nunes (PSDB-SP), acknowledges the merit of the proposal, although he emphasizes that the Union has been acting increasingly in basic education in recent years, even due to pressure from Parliament for the Executive Branch to assume more responsibility for the education systems - an action that is still timid and insufficient, in the opinion of the parliamentarian.
Aloysio, however, pointed out a flaw in the project's initiative, since the creation of ministries and public administration bodies is the exclusive competence of the Presidency of the Republic, as is the organization and functioning of the federal administration, when it does not imply an increase in expenses or the creation or extinction of public bodies. As the analysis of the constitutionality of the proposal falls to the CCJ (Committee on Constitution, Justice and Citizenship), the rapporteur presented a favorable opinion for the matter to proceed through the legislative process and be re-evaluated.
Senators Ana Rita (PT-ES) and Ângela Portela (PT-RR) and Senator Inácio Arruda (PCdoB-CE) submitted a request for a public hearing to inform the analysis of the matter, but the request was not voted on.