Civic-military school in São Paulo forces young people to salute and transmits grammatical errors.
Notes on the board made by retired police instructors contained misspelled words during military command training.
247 - A state school in Caçapava, in the interior of São Paulo, drew attention after reports of Portuguese language errors in content presented to students at the beginning of the 2026 school year. The errors occurred during tutoring activities related to... civic-military model adopted by the state network last Monday (2), involving the teaching of commands common to the military hierarchy.
During the explanation of drill and ceremony — a set of standardized movements used in the Military Police — words were misspelled on the board. Among them, "descançar" (to rest), spelled with a "ç", and "continêcia" (support), with the missing "n" before the "c".
According to the Brazilian Academy of Letters, the correct spellings are "descansar," with an "s" in the last syllable, and "continência." The images that captured the errors were recorded by the TV Vanguarda team during the classroom activity.
After some time, Lieutenant Jeferson, responsible for writing on the board, went to the door of the room and spoke with someone. Then he returned, looked at the written content, and corrected the word "descansar" (to rest). Shortly after, he spoke again with a woman present in the room and also corrected the term "salência" (salute).
When contacted, the São Paulo State Department of Education stated that “all pedagogical content is developed and applied by the school's teachers and, in this initial implementation phase, the monitors are providing guidance on disciplinary activities and the promotion of civic values.” The department further added that “all monitors in the Civic-Military School Program will undergo semi-annual performance evaluations to verify adaptation and continued participation in each school unit.”
The episode generated a reaction from the Union of Teachers of the Official Education System of the State of São Paulo (Apeoesp). In a statement, the organization affirmed that it "repudiates the implementation of civic-military schools in São Paulo" and classified the model as "unconstitutional and authoritarian." The union also criticized the use of Education resources and the hiring of retired military personnel, in addition to stating that the measure was adopted without consulting the school community.
In total, 11 state schools in the Paraíba Valley region began 2026 under the civic-military model. These schools are located in 10 municipalities, with Bragança Paulista being the only city with two participating schools. In these institutions, retired military police officers work alongside students in activities outlined by the model.
In the region, the following schools are part of the program: EE Newton Câmara Leal Barros and EE Prof. Marcos Antônio da Silva Guimarães, in Bragança Paulista; EE Prof.ª Mathilde Teixeira de Moraes, in Pindamonhangaba; EE Antônio Alves Bernardino, in Caraguatatuba; EE Padre Mateus Nunes de Siqueira, in Atibaia; EE Prof.ª Luciana Damas Bezerra, in Caçapava; EE Prof.ª Maísa Theodoro da Silva, in São Sebastião; EE Prof. Abrão Benjamim, in Cruzeiro; EE Prof.ª Leonor Guimarães, in Bom Jesus dos Perdões; and one unit in Piquete.
According to the state government, schools in the Paraíba Valley represent 11% of the total 100 units selected in 89 cities in São Paulo state. The official estimate is that around 50 students are part of the Civic-Military School Program throughout the state.
