Filipe Amorim / Lusa
The Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre
The Ministry of Education announced the creation of a working group to develop guidelines for principals to prohibit “activities contrary to educational purposes”, following a report that reported the presence of influencers in schools who promote sexual and misogynistic content.
The working group, coordinated by the Assistant Secretary of State and Education, Alexandre Homem Cristoincludes other representatives from the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MECI), directors and those in charge of education.
The team must present its conclusions by the end of March, and it will be responsible for producing guidelines “relating to the control and prohibition of the development of activities contrary to the intended purposes by educational institutions”.
In the order released this Friday, which awaits publication in the Diário da República, the Minister of Education, Fernando Alexandrejustifies the decision by pointing out the “growing diversity of initiatives” promoted in schools and without a pedagogical framework that give rise to “situations likely to affect the integrity, neutrality and security of the school space”.
The governor specifically mentions the cases reported a week ago by the newspaper, of 79 public schools who received, in the last two academic years, digital influencers who promote sexual and misogynistic contentas part of student association campaigns.
Following the Público report, the General Inspectorate of Education and Science opened an investigation into two directors of schools mentioned by the newspaper.
The Público report refers to the case of Elizabeth Costadeputy director of a secondary school in Ferreira do Zêzere, who reportedly commented, among teachers, that “Now I’m going to see a man naked”.
According to Fernando Alexandre, the reported cases reveal the need to “clarify the criteria applicable to the admission of these presences in schools and authorization to carry out activities that violate the values of democratic citizenship”.
The Minister of Education also considers that the responsibilities of bodies direction must be highlighted, particularly school principals to whom, says Fernando Alexandre, responsible for managing the facilities and ensure that schools comply with “the principles of public ethics, institutional neutrality and the values of democratic citizenship”.
On Wednesday, Fernando Alexandre reported the intention of creating this working group and explained, at the time, that the objective is for “directors who have more doubts about How should they act in these circumstances?” can “protect the school space from the entry of entities or individuals who do not have legitimacy to enter and who disrupt the educational process and the training of children and young people”.
Gonçalo Maia, who calls himself “the dolliest”, produces content for children. In his free time, he stars in adult videos
The Público report identifies the 79 schools that it found to have housed influencers like Zezinho or Gonçalo Maia (“the most doll”), which, says the newspaper, in addition to content for children, is also protagonist of adult videos. On Instagram, where he has more than 42 thousand followers, he alternates sharing videos in schools with Onlyfans account promotionwhere he sells pornography.
As the specialist in sexual violence told the newspaper Maria João Faustinothis “is not an isolated or aberrant case: it synthesizes the dilution of boundaries between a children’s audience and commodification of the body” on social media”.
Elizabete Costa did not know the activities that the influencer dedicated to in his professional life. “I have nothing to do with this. Here at school he behaved well“, said the school director, casually.
