Brazil Enacts National Education System to Align Federal, State and Municipal Action

Overview

• President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed the SNE into law on Friday, establishing a statutory framework now in force.
• The measure creates intergovernmental commissions—Cite at the national level and Cibes in the states—to negotiate responsibilities and approve the CAQ methodology within 90 days.
• The law adopts the Custo Aluno Qualidade as the reference for per‑student investment, with groups such as Todos Pela Educação urging clarity on how it will be defined and applied.
• Federative entities have up to two years to adapt their legal and administrative norms to the new governance model.
• The Senate’s final text strengthens the autonomy of state and municipal education councils and establishes a forum to coordinate their work with the National Education Council.