Lula approves a full-day schooling programme

On Monday, 31 July, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva approved a law creating the Full Day School programme (Programa Escola em Tempo Integral). The aim of the project is to ensure that children and young people have full-time school hours equal to or exceeding 7 hours a day or 35 hours a week.

According to the Ministry of Education, the project will allocate R$4 billion (US$846 million) to create 3.6 million new places.

With these funds, basic education schools in all regions of Brazil should increase enrolment by one million students. Increasing the time spent in school to equal or exceed 7 hours per day or 35 hours per week is aimed at the development and holistic formation of children and adolescents, as reported by Brasil 247, a partner of TV BRICS.

Coordinated by the Department of Education (MEC), the programme is a federal mechanism to help expand full-time enrolment in state and community schools. Participation in the programme is optional, but the initial aim is to create one million new places in full-time education in the coming years.

Photo: istockphoto.com