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The father of a student at the Municipal School of Early Childhood Education (Emei) Antônio Bento, in Caxingui, west of , called the Military Police () after discovering that his 4-year-old daughter had drawn a drawing of the orixá Iansã during an activity at the school. The case happened on Wednesday afternoon (12/11).
The previous day (11/11), the father had already expressed dissatisfaction with the activity, based on , and even tore up a mural with children’s drawings that was displayed at the school, according to the mother of a student.
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Drawing of the orixá Iansã that motivated the father of a student at a children’s school in São Paulo to call the police
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Drawings by students from EMEI Antônio Bento, in São Paulo, in an activity entitled “Ciranda de Aruanda”
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Drawings that students from EMEI Antônio Bento, in São Paulo, made in an activity on African-based religions
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After the episode, the school management recommended that the man participate, on Wednesday, in the School Council meeting, scheduled to take place at 3 pm. He did not attend the meeting, but called the police.
At around 4pm, four armed officers, one of them with a machine gun, entered the school. They reported that they received a complaint from a father saying that his daughter was being forced to take “African religion classes”.
The agents reportedly told the school management that the school activity constituted “religious education” and highlighted that the child was being forced to have access to content from a religion that is not that of his family. The approach was considered hostile by witnesses.
In response to the police, the school emphasized that the drawing was part of an activity with the children’s book “Ciranda em Aruanda”, which is in the official collection of the São Paulo municipal network. The work, by author Liu Olivina, features illustrations of 10 Orixás and presents, in short texts, the characteristics of the deities — Oxóssi, for example, is portrayed as “the great guardian of the forest”.
Emei management cited laws and , which make teaching Afro-Brazilian history and culture mandatory throughout the country, and explained that the activity had no doctrinal character. The children would have just listened to the story in the book and made a drawing afterwards.
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The PMs remained inside Emei for just over an hour. The teaching supervisor was called and also attended the scene.
According to a mother, who prefers not to be identified, while they were at the school, the police demonstrated “abuse of power, scaring children and staff”. The situation would also have caused the school director to feel ill, and she had to be removed.
“It was necessary for a group of parents to talk to them so they could leave”, reported the mother.
What the SSP says
In a statement, the Public Security Secretariat () stated that, when responding to the incident, the police spoke with the parties – father and director of the educational institution.
“Both were instructed to file a police report, if they deemed it necessary. The PM’s internal affairs department is available to investigate any complaints about police conduct,” said the department.
The SSP also added that the use of weapons, which includes a machine gun, is part of the police officers’ Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and is carried throughout their shift on duty.
City Hall says father was advised on activities involving orixás
through the Municipal Department of Education (), reported that the student’s father received clarification that the work presented by his daughter is part of the group’s collective production.
“The activity is part of the school’s pedagogical proposals, which make the teaching of Afro-Brazilian and indigenous history and culture mandatory within the São Paulo City Curriculum”, reinforced the municipal management.
