Federal deputy Luciene Cavalcante and state deputy Carlos Giannazi, both from PSOL in São Paulo, officiated São Paulo governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans) with questions about what measures are being taken to implement anti-racist studies in schools. The letter was also filed at the Ministry of Racial Equality, headed by Anielle Franco.
The document was presented on March 28, the day after the attack on the Thomazia Montoro State School, in Vila Sônia, west of São Paulo, when a 13-year-old teenager stabbed a teacher to death and injured five other people.
Motivation is still under investigation, but a week before the attack, the teenager would have uttered racist insults to another student. At the time, the aggressor would have been scolded by teacher Elisabeth Tenreiro, the first to be attacked on the 28th.
Read more: ‘There is not just one culprit’, says researcher on attack at SP school
After the case, Cavalcante and Giannazi asked for the application of Law 10.639/2003, which establishes the guidelines and bases of national education to include the mandatory theme “Afro-Brazilian History and Culture” in the official curriculum of the Teaching Network.
“The Law that implemented the mandatory teaching of Afro-Brazilian culture and history in schools celebrated its 20th anniversary this year, but there are still doubts as to whether it is actually being practiced in schools. The episode at EE Thomazia Montoro raised the importance of this learning”, say the parliamentarians in the letter.
“Such content, taught transversally to other subjects, such as art, history and literature, is essential for the formation of a society that is critical of racism and anti-racist, since it is through education that there will be awareness of the process of forming society Brazilian society with its multiple agents and their legacies, free of stereotypes”, they point out.
To the Brazil in factLuciene Cavalcante argued that the attack on the school in São Paulo is part of a type of “specific violence that has foundations from supremacist, neo-fascist and racist groups. use. In the specific case of this attack, we actually had a situation of racism involved”.
:: Attacking the school is not an individual decision and reflects contact with extremists, says researcher ::
“As the law that implements the guarantee of these anti-racist studies in schools will complete 20 years, we ask for information on the educational policies of the state of São Paulo for the governor and the Ministry of Racial Equality. How are you doing this interlocution with the MEC so that in fact the law is implemented?”, asks the deputy. “Law 10,639 is extremely important for our country and even for us to face this type of violence.”
On the same day as the attack, Cavalcante filed a petition with the Chamber of Deputies requesting the creation of the Parliamentary Front in Defense of Education Professionals. The document has the formal support of 203 of the 513 deputies. “In this escalation of violence that we are facing against schools, it has never been so fundamental for us to have a parliamentary front focused on valuing education professionals”, defends Cavalcante.
Editing: Nicolau Soares
