Correio newspaper | Indigenous teachers in Bahia will receive R$3,000 more after project approved

Increase is valid for teachers who work 40 hours a week

Published on April 23, 2024 at 7:58 pm

The bill that provides for salary equality for indigenous teachers and non-indigenous educators in Bahia was unanimously approved this Tuesday (23), in a vote held urgently in the Legislative Assembly (Alba).

The main change established by the proposal corresponds to the monthly salary of indigenous teaching professionals. At the beginning of April, CORREIO presented the salary reality of this group: indigenous teachers who work 40 hours a week received, monthly, a base salary of R$1,253.12 – R$3,167.43 less than non-indigenous educators.

With the approval of the matter this Tuesday, teachers will receive at least R$3,000 more. Now, all it takes is a review of the framework for effective indigenous professionals for the change to come into effect. This reevaluation is expected to take place within 30 days after the publication of the law.

The project also allows indigenous teachers to progress in their career with a Full Degree (Class 1) or Indigenous Intercultural Degree (Class 2). Previously, advances could only be made by teachers with an Indigenous Cultural Degree.

During a session in Alba, deputies from the government and opposition bases defended the proposal. Leader of the minority bench, Alan Sanches (União Brasil) celebrated the approval of the matter, but made a point of highlighting that the text reached the House late. “It could have been done sooner, but better late than never,” he said.

Government leader, Rosemberg Pinto (PT), also celebrated the approval and said that it is necessary to “reflect on how the indigenous community is treated in daily relations with society”. State deputy Hilton Coelho (Psol), who is independent, took advantage of the opportunity and demanded from the Jerônimo Rodrigues (PT) government the draft plan for positions and salaries for the Public Defender’s Office of the State of Bahia.

“Where is the equality between defenders and the Public Ministry? To have a strong Public Defender’s Office, restructuring is necessary”, stated the socialist. This proposal entered the agenda at Alba in December last year, but was withdrawn after the governor’s order.

Salary equality has been on the indigenous teaching agenda since 2016, two years after teachers from this ethnic group joined the state education network. The career of this group was regulated in 2011, through Law 12,046. A single competition for indigenous teachers was held during 18 years of PT governments: in 2014, when those selected were distributed to work in 27 schools aimed at indigenous peoples.

*With guidance from editor Rodrigo Daniel Silva