Lula Signs 10-Year National Education Plan Into Law

Overview

• The 10-year plan, which Lula signed into law Tuesday without vetoes, now sets the country’s official roadmap for schools from early childhood to higher education.
• It lists 19 objectives with 73 targets and 372 strategies that agencies must review every two years, and it requires states and cities to file local action plans with interim goals.
• Funding rules commit Brazil to raise public education outlays to 7.5% of GDP within seven years and to 10% by the end of the decade, up from about 5.5% today.
• Key goals include universal pre‑school for 4‑ and 5‑year‑olds, a big expansion of creche seats, early‑grade literacy for 80% of children within five years, and high‑speed internet in most public schools.
• Lula used the signing to reject expanding civic‑military schools, while Congress and education groups said strict monitoring and coordination will be vital after many targets in the 2014–2024 plan went unmet.