Educação em tempos de pandemia e o financiamento suplementar: desafios para a garantia do direito à educação.

Abstract

This study is related to the research line "State, Politics and Administration of Education" of the Postgraduate Program in Educational Sciences at the Federal University of Uberlândia and has as its object of investigation the right to education in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and the way in which additional funding was passed on to schools to guarantee this right. The study is based on the following questions: To what extent was the right to education guaranteed during the pandemic? What progress and gaps are there in public policy regarding guaranteeing the right to education? Did education policy and the federal government provide sufficient financial resources to ensure the realization of this right in times of the pandemic? To answer these questions the general objective of the research was to analyze the additional funding provided by the Direct Money School Program – PDDE Basic and Direct Money School Program – PDDE Emergency and to understand the weaknesses and opportunities to guarantee basic education students in the municipality of Uberlândia-MG the right to education in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is a qualitative research in which there was a support of a bibliographic research, research and document analysis of resolutions, ordinances, laws and decrees of the Ministry of Education (MEC), the State Secretariat of Education (SEE) of Minas Gerais, the Municipal Ministry of Education (SME) of Uberlândia–MG and the database of the National Fund for Educational Development (FNDE) on financial transfers to teaching units in Uberlândia-MG. Based on this study, it was possible to state that the health crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic demanded safety protocols in all sectors, in particular in schools. One of the actions the federal government had to take to face the pandemic was the establishment of the Basic and Direct Money School Program – PDDE Emergency by FNDE through Resolution CD/FNDE nº 16 of October 7, 2020 (Brasil, 2020), whose objective was to contribute to the supplying of priority needs of municipal, state and district public schools due to the calamity the pandemic brought. It is important to observe that the amounts provided were not sufficient to make the adjustments proposed in Resolution CD/FNDE nº 16 of October 7, 2020, to meet the safety protocols for the return to face-to-face activities during the Covid-19 pandemic as significant amounts would be required for schools to guarantee necessary materials to receive all the students and provide them education with social quality. During the pandemic period, as recommended by the Resolution, the funds had to be applied: to the acquisition of consumer items for hygiene and the purchase of personal protection equipment; to the disinfection of environments by hiring specialized services; to adjustments and necessary small repairs to maintain the school safety procedures; to improvements to internet access; and to the acquisition of permanent materials during the period. There must be a combination of efforts to improve financing and management standards to implement State policies for Basic Education funding so that Fundeb is materialized and becomes permanent, the Student Cost Quality is guaranteed and there is an increase in funding for programs such as PDDE, for example. It is really important to establish a national education system that respects the principle of equality for all Brazilians concerning the right to education with a fair distribution of power, authority and fundings that allows and guarantees quality public education.