2027 vacation law violates the autonomy of institutions, says Fenep
A change in the 2027 school calendar was announced after the President of the Republic, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), sanctioned the law that regulates the 2027 Women's World Cup, which will take place in Brazil next year.
The proposal foresees, among other measures, that school calendars be adjusted so that the mid-year holidays coincide with the competition period, which takes place from June 24 to July 25, 2027. The objective is to ensure greater participation by the population.
The measure, however, has caused concern among educational entities. In a statement, the president of Fenep (National Federation of Private Schools), professor Amábile Pacios, claims that the law violates the autonomy of private schools.
"Federal law has no influence on the academic calendar of private schools. States can manage the calendar of public schools in their network, but this does not mean imposing the calendar on private educational institutions", says Amábile.
The note released by the entity argues that "any adjustments to the calendar must respect legal powers, the reality of each network and the autonomy of private institutions".
In addition, the statement reiterates that there is, at this moment, no reason for judicialization, since Fenep does not identify a concrete violation of the rights of private schools. However, the Federation will continue to monitor movements in the states, especially with state education councils and education departments.
In an interview with CNN Brasil, Amábile Pacios, president of Fenep, stated that she recognizes the relevance and value of the Women's World Cup. But the point reinforced by the entity is the need to ensure that private schools have their autonomy respected.
"Each school organizes its calendar considering its pedagogical proposal, its community, its contracts, its team and the fulfillment of 200 school days. A change made in a uniform way can impact the year's planning and even the organization of the following year", she argues.
When asked about the possibility of readjusting the vacation period in a way that does not interfere with school planning, the president explains that this could be an alternative, as long as it is a decision made by the institution itself.
"The problem is to transform this measure into an obligation for all private schools in the country. The realities are very different, and the school calendar needs to consider these differences", he said.
According to her, private schools must comply with 200 school days and the mandatory workload, but they must have the freedom to define how to organize this planning throughout the year.
"In this case, the concern is not with the World Cup. The concern is to prevent a general rule from harming the pedagogical and administrative planning of private schools", added Amábile Pacios.
When contacted by the report, the MEC (Ministry of Education) informed that the topic will be analyzed in due course by the CNE (National Education Council), which will issue an opinion on the matter, subsequently sent for approval by the Ministry. The article will be updated when there is a new position,
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Source: CNN