By Carola Matarazzo – Executive Director of Movimento Bem Maior
The already fragile structures of our educational system became even more susceptible during the prolonged months of the pandemic, with distance classes in a scenario of precariousness and the absence of technology to promote access to all students, reinforcing social, economic and educational inequalities.
In the ranking carried out by Fundação Getúlio Vargas analyzing public distance education during the pandemic, Bahia came in last place – the report points out that the state did not present any program in the period analyzed, from March to October 2020. On the other hand, Salvador appears in first place among Brazilian capitals.
Data from the Iede School Retention Indicator – Interdisciplinarity and Evidence in the Educational Debate, launched at the end of May, show that the percentage of young people aged 16 and 17 who were not studying in 2019 in Bahia (20%) is higher than the national average, 18%. The health crisis only tends to worsen the situation.
“Educating is growing. And growing is living. Education is, therefore, life in the most authentic sense of the word”, recorded Bahian educator Anísio Teixeira. Using your comparison, we need to create a life and education network that is resistant and expandable to strengthen Brazilian education, which goes beyond the capitals, reaching medium and small cities and rural communities. Education for all.
This objective can only be achieved when we provide support to leverage the strength of the community, strengthening those who work directly with the population, understanding their main needs and urgent demands. When we combine the expertise of the third sector with the practical knowledge of local organizations, we create solutions that can expand and multiply, even serving as the basis for public policies and transformative government actions.
“Ensure inclusive, equitable and quality education, and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”, states goal 4 of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which must be our North. With this conviction that education is the engine of transformation in Brazil, envisioning short, medium and long-term work for structural changes, Movimento Bem Maior supports several organizations across the country that promote educational actions.
In Bahia we have partnerships with two organizations. In the municipality of Santa Bárbara, we are partners in the Tomba Digital project, run by the Rural Community Association of Tomba and Surrounding Areas, with the aim of equipping a learning room with technology to offer online courses, seminars, lectures, among other educational activities. The municipality's population in 2019 was 20,791 inhabitants and more than half (53.3%) have a per capita monthly income of half the minimum wage. The project has a direct impact on 300 people and indirectly involves 1,200 residents.
In Salvador, with the Social Project Children of Vila Pro-Vila, we support the Capacitando para Ajante initiative, to promote futsal, capoeira, ballet and other activities workshops for children and young people living in regions of great social vulnerability. The initiative directly benefits 90 children, young people and adults with an income of up to one minimum wage, reaching 360 indirect beneficiaries.
Our daily challenge is to expand and strengthen this network. Resuming the reflection of educators and education in the state of Bahia, we want to reach communities to bring education to everyone in a plural and inclusive way, and thus promote a better quality of life and opportunities.
This article was originally published on the Correio 24 Horas website
