December 9, 2022

18:12

Marcela Leiros – Amazon Agency

MANAUS – Among the most talked about issues in social networks in recent days, with the hashtag #pagueminhaabolsa, the Ministry of Education (MEC) announced on Thursday, 8, the release of R$ 210 million for the payment of 200 thousand scholars of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Level Personnel (Capes). The value ensures the benefit of this month of December and should be held until next Tuesday, 13.

Students who depend on the payment of scholarships were worried about the resources block announced this week. On Tuesday, 6, Capes released official note stating that, after budget blocks in the folder, would not have money to pay the more than 200 thousand scholarships for masters students, doctoral and postdoctoral. On Thursday morning, the folder had managed, with the MEC, the release of R$ 50 million.

Outraged by the blockade and the risk of not receiving the monthly money, scholars have positioned themselves on Twitter and demonstrations were held in various corners of the country. “Scholarship is salary!”, said an internet user, with photos of an act of students.

“One more chapter where public education in Brazil is sabotaged by a misgovernment that hates education and those who defend it. People depend on these scholarships to live and continue studying, and institutions, to offer the minimum structure for this to occur #PagueMinhaBolsa”, said another user.

Priority Payments

The edition of Decree No. 11,269, 30 November 2022, completely zeroed out the authorization for financial disbursements during the month of December, imposing budget restrictions on all ministries and federal entities. In Amazonas, the Federal University of Amazonas (Ufam), for example, announced to be without funds to afford water, electricity and outsourced contracts already provided for in the budget.

Read also: No money for water and electricity, Ufam has cut R $ 13 million in the budget

Request for clarification

On Wednesday, 7, the minister of the Supreme Court (STF), Dias Toffoli, gave 72 hours for the federal government to explain the blocking of funds in education that made impossible the payment of scholarship holders (Capes) and medical residents in the month of December. The order was given in Writ of Mandamus 38893.

The minister is the rapporteur of an action of the National Union of Students (UNE), by the National Association of Graduate Students (ANPG) and the Brazilian Union of Secondary Students (Ubes), presented to the Supreme against the measure of the federal government.

“Given the relevance of the issue and considering that the debate of the case directly involves the actions of the Foundation Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education (Capes), notify the entity so that, if desired, submit information in the records, within 72 (seventy-two) hours”, said the magistrate.