President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced this Monday, 30, that the executive secretary of the Ministry of Education (MEC), Leonardo Barchini, will be the new minister at the head of the department.
“He deserves my trust. He has the trust of the team, the trust of Camilo (Santana). I am pleased to call him the new Minister of Education, Leonardo Barchini”, said the president.
Current minister Camilo Santana will leave the MEC to dedicate himself to the electoral campaign. During his speech, the head of the ministry took stock of his management at the head of the department (read more below).
Leonardo Barchini has a bachelor’s degree in Law and a master’s degree in Social Sciences from the University of Brasília (UnB). He was secretary of International and Federative Relations and chief of staff to the mayor at São Paulo City Hall, between 2013 and 2016. Barchini also served as director of the Organization of Ibero-American States in Brazil (OEI).
This Monday, Lula simultaneously inaugurated 107 works in the area of education across the country. The event took place in a tent set up by the government in the middle of the Esplanada dos Ministérios, in Brasília. The president of the Chamber of Deputies, Hugo Motta (Republicanos-PB), also participated in the event. The works inaugurated were as follows:
- 18 daycare centers;
- 23 full-time schools;
- 43 works in 12 federal institutes;
- 10 works in nine universities;
- 13 works in 11 university hospitals;
During his speech, the president said that it is necessary to publicize the government’s achievements and use cell phones “for good”.
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“If you leave here and don’t become promoters of the things you saw happening in education in this country, the factory of lies at this moment is already denying everything Camilo said here and casting doubt,” he said. “If our adversaries use cell phones for evil, we need to use them for good.”
The event also marked the connectivity of 99 thousand public schools, which received internet for use in school activities. According to data from the Ministry of Education (MEC), in 2023 there were 62.8 thousand public schools connected. This year, the number jumped to 99 thousand schools, which corresponds to 71.7% of the total.
The MEC estimates that, as a result, 24 million students will be connected. During the event, Lula made a video call with a school in Manaus and spoke to students.
Camilo Santana took stock of the management and one of the points highlighted by the minister was the creation of the Pé-de-meia program, which, according to him, reduced dropout rates and school dropouts in Brazilian secondary education by half. The measure consists of paying a scholarship to stage students who remain at school.
Camilo also highlighted the changes promoted by the government in the distance education modality and the implementation of the National Medical Training Assessment Exam (Enamed). “The president asked to be held accountable,” said the minister.
