Wilson Lima highlights projects to improve the quality of education in Amazonas

Photograph: Alex Pazuello/Secom

Governor Wilson Lima highlighted the actions of “Educa+Amazonas” during a meeting with the Minister of Education, Camilo Santana, on Wednesday (27/03). “Educa+Amazonas” was launched in 2021 and is made up of 13 priority projects that reinforce, among other initiatives, the teaching of a second language, teaching focused on sustainability and access to new technologies.

Camilo was in Manaus to launch the Federal Pé-de-Meia Program, which will benefit more than 105 thousand students from Amazonas, 74.6 thousand students from the state network. The event took place at the Vasco Vasques Convention Center, in the central-south area of ​​Manaus.

Photograph: Alex Pazuello/Secom

Through “Educa + Amazonas”, the state expanded Bilingual Education for students in the state network. Currently 10 schools offer the teaching of a second language, serving 6,400 students with the teaching of English, Spanish, French, Japanese and Tukano (indigenous school). Adding the 1,000 beneficiaries of the Jovem Bilíngue project, the State benefits 7,400 students with the provision of teaching a second language.

According to Wilson Lima, the work is the result of the government’s commitment to Education, aiming at the future of these students in the job market and the impact that the training of qualified professionals can bring to the economic development of the state.

Photograph: Alex Pazuello/Secom

“Public education has advanced. Our team at the Department of Education has been working hard to ensure that we can implement programs such as Jovem Bilíngue. The state of Amazonas is a national reference. All of this is the result of the commitment and understanding we have about the importance of education. In the same way that we have implemented the Makers laboratories, and have made an effort to guarantee free student passes”, said the governor.

Another novelty announced by Governor Wilson Lima this year is a project that is being prepared by the State Department of Education to offer exchange courses to students in the state network. The proposal, which will have a partnership with embassies and other institutions, should take students in the 1st and 2nd grades of high school, from schools with bilingual education, to English and Spanish speaking countries, for example.

Photograph: Alex Pazuello/Secom

The dream of student Sérgio Miguel, from Escola Eliana Socorro Pacheco Andrade, in Lago Azul, is to be a journalist. The young man started studying English this year and sees it as an opportunity for the profession he intends to pursue in the future.

“I have always been raised by public policies. I also participate in the ‘Jovem Bilíngue’ program, which is a state government initiative. It is a very good opportunity because students need to learn other languages. Also very important in the job market”, said the student.

About “Educa+Amazonas”

The “Educa+Amazonas” program brings together 13 projects covering four priority axes defined by the State Department of Education and Sports. They are: learning recovery; qualification and recognition of education professionals; preparing the student for the future; and environment and sustainability.

Photograph: Alex Pazuello/Secom

Maker Space

The laboratories offer equipment for learning robotics, programming, 3D printing, electronics, audio and video production, carpentry and artistic production, expanding students’ knowledge in various areas.

There are 83 rooms of this type delivered to schools in the network, benefiting approximately 54 thousand students, in the capital and in the interior. There are 40 Maker Spaces in the capital and 43 in the interior. At the beginning of the 2024 school year alone, 32 Maker Rooms were opened with an investment of R$10.9 million from the State.

Education and sustainability

With approximately R$ 5 million in investments, the first unit of Escola da Floresta is already 80% completed in the Uatumã Sustainable Development Reserve (RDS), in São Sebastião do Uatumã (247 kilometers from Manaus) and should be delivered in the first half of 2024.

Escola da Floresta seeks to broaden the perspective on Environmental Education based on models of socio-environmental sustainability, with the development of appropriate technologies. Three others are also planned: one in the Caverna do Maroaga Environmental Protection Area (APA), in Presidente Figueiredo (117 kilometers from the capital); another in RDS Piagaçu Purus, in Beruri (173 kilometers from Manaus); and one recently announced in partnership with the private sector in Carauari (788 kilometers from the capital).

Free pass

In addition to “Educa+Amazonas”, Wilson Lima has made the Student Free Pass possible, a historic struggle for public school students. Free public transport serves 170,000 students in state and municipal education networks. The State has already transferred R$258.2 million to the Municipality of Manaus since January 2022, when the first agreement came into force. For 2024 alone, the value of the transfer is R$120 million.

Driver’s license at school

“CNH na Escola” aims to serve high school students from the state public network by offering free traffic legislation classes.

Classes are taught by professionals from the Amazonas State Traffic Department (Detran-AM) throughout the 3 years of high school. Four schools received the pilot project and 138 students completed the course in 2023.

About Nest Egg

The Federal Government program should benefit up to 105 thousand high school students in Amazonas, 74.6 thousand of which are from the state network alone. The initiative is a financial incentive, in the form of savings, to promote the retention and completion of school for students enrolled in public high school.

Photograph: Alex Pazuello/Secom

Pé-de-Meia provides for a monthly payment of R$200, which can be withdrawn at any time. Furthermore, R$1,000 will be deposited at the end of each completed year, but this amount can only be withdrawn after completing high school. All incentives will be paid into a savings account automatically opened by the Federal Government in the student’s name.