D-Notícias

Schools, NGOs, companies and the Municipal Education Bureau (SME) discussed the findings presented by the survey of public x private partnerships under way in the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Education Network, commissioned by the Instituto Desiderata and conducted by Innova Pesquisa e Assessoria and the Instituto Fonte.

Held at the Bank of Brazil Culture Centre (CCBB), this workshop was designed to gather together representatives of the institutions engaged in the survey in order to discuss its main findings and explore possible uses for this information, in addition to providing input for its Final Report.

Having discussed the survey findings in groups, the participants then presented their recommendations at the closing plenary session for enhancing the effectiveness of these public x private partnerships in the field of Government education in Rio de Janeiro.  Representing the Municipal Education Bureau (SME), Simone Monteiro stressed the need to create a mechanism that would provide feedback for schools and enhance the visibility of partnerships under way:  “The school must have a clear idea of its educational and political project, establishing criteria for electing its partners, with easier project acceptance and monitoring in this network, in addition to multiplying this out to other schools.”  The principal of the CIEP Gustavo Capanema comprehensive school, Eliane Ferreira summarised the paths indicated by this survey:  “I am leaving here with more questions than answers.  There is much food for thought in these issues.” Speaking for the Instituto de Arte Tear, Camila Leite stressed:  “As an initial survey of the partnerships in the school network, this study brings up more questions than ready-made answers on this topic.”

The idea of conducting this survey was prompted by the outcomes of the Partnerships for Education Programme noted by the Instituto Desiderata, together with the need to reach a better understanding of how public x private partnerships function in the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Education Network.  Backed by the Municipal Education Bureau, this survey strove to reply to the following question:  Do the public x private partnerships currently under way in Rio de Janeiro contribute to the effective improvement of the quality of Government education in this Municipality? To what extent and in what way?”

The publication of this survey and the recommendations presented at the Workshop will be launched as a Seminar scheduled for September 3 at the same venue, which will be open to everyone eager to discuss these issues.