In February 2022, the All for Education gave serious news: during the pandemic, the number of children aged 6 and 7 who were not literate increased by one million, according to their guardians. In total, this number increased from 1.4 million in 2019 to 2.4 million in 2021.
The harshness of this indicator shows us the size of the challenge that needs to be faced, but it is unable to portray the lives impacted by the various tragedies brought about by the pandemic: the reduction in family income, the tragedy of hunger and the lives lost.
On this Education Day (28/4), we cannot forget two fundamental points: the first, of all the children and young people who were harmed and did not have access to education during these last two years. It is to them that we must turn our attention in this recovery.
The second, the efforts of families, teachers, school directors and public managers who acted with courage to face the serious effects of the pandemic on Brazilian education, especially on the lives of poor children and young people, black people, from rural areas and quilombolas, who were those most affected by the chaos created in the country. Without them, the effects of closed schools would have been even more brutal.
With the pandemic having cooled and with the return of face-to-face classes, we have clarity on the obstacles and paths to look to the future with the hope that it is possible to turn the tide and guarantee a quality education for every Brazilian. And what gives us this certainty is that this already happens in some locations around here.
Brazil is full of success stories in public basic education. And these are not small initiatives, from one or two schools that are outside the norm. These are robust projects that bring about changes throughout the school community, and spread, generating benefits for cities and states.
Todos Pela Educação traveled across the country to tell the stories of five cities in the series “Educação Que Dá Certo”, available on our YouTube channel. There are four episodes that seek to value public education networks and their thousands of technical and pedagogical professionals who are behind examples of well-structured policies.
This is because one of Todos' lines of action is focused on spreading positive experiences to inspire public managers across Brazil to implement more effective solutions. In addition to the series, available technical documents which can serve as a basis to guide public managers.
And valuing success stories is even more important at a time when schools are facing the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, and also in an election year, when we decide what we want for the country's coming years.
How about we use this Education Day to learn from Brazil? Discover education that works and spread this idea. By valuing and supporting public schools, we invest in a better country with more opportunities for everyone!
