New education minister admits ‘mistake’ after asking schools to film students singing the national anthem and as slogan is read

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Brazil’s new education minister has been forced into a humiliating retreat after he asked schools in the country to film students singing the national anthem in front of a Brazilian flag and being read the campaign slogan of new far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro.

“I recognised the mistake,” Ricardo Vélez Rodríguez said on Tuesday, a day after the education ministry emailed his instructions to schools across the country – and provoked a storm of outrage.

“Brazilians! Let’s greet the new Brazil and celebrate quality education to be developed in our school,” the email said, ending on Bolsonaro’s campaign slogan: “Brazil above everything, God above everyone.”

The email requested that schools film students being read the letter and singing the national anthem on the first day of class before sending the recording to the ministry.

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Headteachers and educational experts questioned the logic and legality of the request, given the enormous problems the Brazilian education system faces, including a crumbling infrastructure, a shortage of teachers and high levels of illiteracy.

They also pointed out that new term in Brazil, where summer holidays ended in January, actually started weeks ago.

“This is unreal. Schools are overburdened with work, still matriculating students, thousands of problems, and we are going to stop and do this?” said Rosana Lima, an assistant head teacher at the Amaro Cavalcanti high school in Rio de Janeiro. “You are doing government propaganda.”

Pernambuco state’s education department refused to comply. “What Brazil needs … is a true pact in the search for learning for Brazilian children and youth,” it said in an Instagram post.

“Schools are falling to pieces across the state,” said Pedro Mara, a high school principal in the city of Belford Roxo in Rio de Janeiro state. “We don’t have enough teachers.”

Brazil’s minister of women, family and human rights, Damares Alves, said the minister’s move was part of a bigger movement to restore “patriotism, love of the national anthem, love of the flag”.

Olavo Nogueira Filho, director of educational policy for the not-for-profit group Everyone For Education (Todos Pela Educação) said it was illegal to film children without permission of their parents or guardians.

“The focus of the minister of education should be on Brazil’s education problems that need to be dealt with urgently. We can’t waste energy on issues like this.”

On Tuesday, the ministry said a new set of instructions would remove Bolsonaro’s campaign slogan and tell schools that choose to participate that they should obtain legal authorisation before filming students.

