One of the goals of Brazil’s National Education Plan (PNE) is to increase public investment in education to 7.5 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) within seven years and to 10 percent within a decade. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed the document on Tuesday (Apr. 14) during a ceremony at the Planalto presidential palace in Brasília.

In total, the new plan includes 19 objectives, 73 goals, and 372 strategies, introducing new commitments to learning, inclusion, and equity.

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For President Lula, the plan - which he called a “masterpiece” - reaffirms the commitment to education for the next ten years. He noted that Brazilian society must take responsibility for the results and that there must be oversight to ensure the goals are met.

At the ceremony, Education Minister Leonardo Barchini emphasized that this is the best national education plan ever presented, with a strong focus on equity and educational quality.

“For the first time, we have set several distinct objectives and specific goals related to quality, including inclusive education, education for indigenous peoples, quilombola communities, rural areas, and sign language,” he said.

Goals from literacy to high school education

Priorities include topics such as literacy, learning, educational pathways, infrastructure, connectivity, digital education, and the training of education professionals.

Among the expected outcomes, according to the Brazilian government, is ensuring that at least 80 percent of children are literate by the end of the 2nd grade of elementary school. The plan aims to achieve this goal within five years.

Another goal set out in the document is to achieve universal literacy at the appropriate age within a decade.

The plan covers education from early childhood through graduate school, with an emphasis on initiatives such as literacy, teacher professional development, connectivity, and socio-environmental sustainability.

Other PNE goals include:

• 65 percent of schools and 50 percent of students in full-time education by 2036;
• 60 percent of children up to age 3 enrolled in early childhood education by 2036;
• 100 percent of students literate by 2036;
• Minimum operational and health standards in all public elementary and middle schools by the third year of the plan’s implementation;
• Vocational and technical education available to at least 50 percent of high school students by 2036.

In practice

The Brazilian government explained that the bill underlying the new plan was drafted by the Ministry of Education with the intention of being more than just a legal document. The plan’s proposed goals stem from programs and policies designed and currently being implemented by the ministry, such as the National Commitment to Literate Children (CNCA).

The drafting of the document also took into account proposals and extensive discussions held across the country, culminating in the document produced by the National Education Conference (CONAE) in January 2024.

CONAE was preceded by municipal, intermunicipal, and state-level conferences.

Representatives of the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB), the organization coordinating the Free Land Camp (Acampamento Terra Livre) in Brasília, delivered a seven-page letter on Thursday (Apr. 9) to the Brazilian president’s General Secretariat and the Ministry of Mines and Energy. In the document, they acknowledge progress in public policies but criticize delays in the demarcation of indigenous territories.

Titled “A sovereign Brazil is one with demarcated and protected indigenous lands,” the document notes that the current government was formed with the support of the indigenous movement to “rebuild the foundations of institutionality and democracy.”

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“It is necessary to recognize that important changes have taken place during this period,” the letter states.

Among these changes, they cited the creation of the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, the presence of indigenous leaders in prominent government positions, and the reestablishment of spaces for dialogue.

However, the representatives believe these actions still fall short of what is needed.

“We acknowledge progress, but it still does not address the historical urgency or the Brazilian state’s debt to our peoples.”

A climate of violence

Indigenous peoples say there is a growing trend of territorial invasions, violence, and the criminalization of indigenous communities, leaders, and organizations.

“While some institutional frameworks have been rebuilt and there have been shifts in rhetoric, the concrete protection of indigenous territories and of the lives of indigenous peoples still needs greater consistency and continuity,” the letter reads.

Indigenous peoples argue that guaranteeing public policies is a permanent obligation of the Brazilian state.

The letter calls for measures in six areas:

• demarcation and protection of territories;
• consultation, participation, and self-determination;
• budgeting and permanent governance;
• life, security, and well-being;
• climate, ecological transition, and a ban on exploitation;
• memory, reparations, and the future of indigenous peoples.

Since last Sunday (5), various indigenous ethnic groups have gathered in Brasília, the country’s capital, for the Free Land Camp. According to the organizers, approximately 8,000 individuals are camped there.

Indigenous leaders present at the Free Land Camp (Acampamento Terra Livre) demonstration in Brasília on Thursday (Apr. 9) delivered a document to representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Relations proposing the creation of zones free from oil and gas exploration in Brazil and the inclusion of indigenous territories at the center of the global climate strategy.

These fossil fuel–free zones, demonstrators say, would be areas off-limits to exploration in regions of high ecological and cultural significance.

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In general terms, the letter outlines recommendations concerning the “global roadmap” for the energy transition, which was proposed by the Brazilian government at the recent COP30 and has yet to gain consensus. “There can be no just energy transition without safeguarding our territories,” stated Dinamam Tuxá, executive coordinator of the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB), which organizes the rally.

The demarcation and protection of indigenous lands are concrete measures to address the climate crisis, he argued.

“By ignoring this, the world chooses to maintain a model that destroys life. Recognizing indigenous leadership paves the way for a more balanced, diverse, and truly sustainable future.”

Changes

The document signed by indigenous leaders and submitted to the Brazilian government aims to influence international negotiations and contribute to the creation of a new development paradigm.

“Addressing the climate crisis requires not only technological changes, but also a profound redefinition of the relationships between the economy, territory, and rights,” APIB reported.

The letter calls for an immediate end to the development of new oil, gas, and coal fields, as well as the creation of a binding global agreement for the phased elimination of fossil fuels.

“The climate crisis is already affecting food production, health, the economy, and the security of nations. The cost of inaction grows every day,” the organization points out. In the view of its representatives, it is essential that their territories be recognized as priority areas for climate protection and biodiversity conservation.

Examples

The entity argues that the initiative is in line with international examples – such as Ecuador’s decision to halt oil exploration in Yasuní National Park and restrictions adopted in other Latin American countries.

The proposal also emphasizes that a just energy transition depends on the full recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples – including the right to free, prior, and informed consultation.

Data presented in the document show that indigenous territories have significantly lower rates of deforestation and play a central role in protecting ecosystems and global climate stability.

Since last Sunday, the Free Land Camp demonstration has been bringing together indigenous people from various ethnic groups in Brasília. Organizers estimate around 8 thousand people are in attendance.