MANIFEST OF THE PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN SUPPORT OF BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT Mrs. DILMA ROUSSEFF
For a Higher Education of Quality a Free for All
For a Higher Education of Quality a Free for All
We, the undersigned - students, technicians, teachers and other professionals of the public higher education in Brazil - declare our support for the re-election of Mrs. Dilma Rousseff as President of the Federative Republic of Brazil.
Until 2002 we witnessed the stagnation of the public higher education in Brazil as well as constant threats of privatization of the Brazilian Federal Universities. The rebirth of the Brazilian Federal Universities occurred with the election of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who implemented a new educational policy. This policy of strengthening public higher education continued during the government of President Dilma Rousseff, with the appraisal of college careers, the increasing quantity of scholarships for graduate studies, the creation of "Ciência Sem Fronteiras" (a program of scholarships that allowed thousands of undergraduate students to study abroad) and the creation of many new Federal Institutes of Education, Science and Technology; the continuity and expansion of a program called PIBID/CAPES, involving thousands of scholarships for academics and teachers of the public system; more funding for projects and a series of edicts regarding teaching, research and extension, along with several other programs of incentive for the insertion and retention of young and new students in the universities. In addition, the territorial expansion of public universities all over Brazil, with the creation of over 173 campi and 18 new federal universities were encouraged, serving more than 237 cities in the country.
In fact there is still much to be done and to be improved in the Brazilian higher education system. For example, the increase of university student positions needs to be qualified with financial support for structuring institutions of higher education; careful attention must be given to the gaps in what incoming students learned at high school, thus allowing the improvement of education and training quality in general. However, we consider various measures that were already taken as important steps in this direction. We will put the next government under pressure on these issues, through dialogue with the different segments that serve as foundations to public higher education in our country.
Just now, however, we are convinced that, in order to guarantee the continuity of governmental investments in public federal Universities, we have to support the candidature of Mrs. Rousseff as president of Brazil, so as to ensure: (1) the enhancement of higher education through qualification of the three pillars of higher education – teaching, research and extension; (2) the role of the University as a catalyst center of scientific, technological, cultural and socio-economic knowledge for the strategic sectors of the country; and (3) the defense of free public Universities with regional integration and inclusion of groups previously excluded from the academic sphere.
Finally, we – students, technicians and teachers – call the whole Brazilian society to join efforts in strengthening the defense of Brazilian Public Universities. More than that, in defense of ALL social transformations already carried out during the last 12 years, in favor of a less exclusionary and more just Brazilian society.
FOR THE STRENGTHENING OF PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION IN BRAZIL, Dilma Rousseff MUST BE REELECTED PRESIDENT!
FOR THE STRENGTHENING OF PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION IN BRAZIL, Dilma Rousseff MUST BE REELECTED PRESIDENT!
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