Quilombolas demand Brazilian authorities for improvements in public education

By Fabyo Cruz – From Cenarium

BELÉM (PA) – Quilombolas from the city of Acará, located 114 kilometers from Belém, the capital of Pará in northern Brazil, had to suspend classes in the public education system to demand improvements in community schools from the authorities. The mobilizations concluded this Friday, the 28th, after an agreement between the quilombolas and the municipal government.

The protest was driven by the municipal administration’s neglect of education in the region, including the failure to implement school renovations and construction projects previously agreed upon with the Pará State Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPPA). The suspension of classes since February 17 was one of the main reasons for the demonstration.

Led by the Association of Residents and Quilombola Farmers of Alto Acará (Amarqualta), the movement gathered representatives from seven quilombola communities, who denounced the abandonment of public education in the territory. The association’s president, Josias Santos, known as Jota, explained that the occupation occurred due to the municipality’s failure to honor an agreement made in August 2023 between the city hall, the MPPA, and the communities.

“An agreement was made in which the city hall committed to starting construction on a central school within the territory, a project that has been in the works for over 10 years. But when construction began, we noticed that the structure was only half the promised size, with a budget much lower than announced,” Jota told CENARIUM.

Additionally, the Fé em Deus School, in the Ipitinga Grande community, has been awaiting renovation for 16 years, according to Jota. The quilombola leader also stated that the municipality failed to fulfill its promise to build a temporary shelter so that classes could continue during the construction. As a result, school activities were completely halted.

Three other smaller schools—Manuel Simão, São José, and 21 de Abril—were also affected. These schools were supposed to be shut down after the completion of the central school, but with the unfinished construction, they remain in precarious conditions, lacking bathrooms, with damaged roofs, and without the basic infrastructure needed to function.

Faced with a lack of response, the quilombola communities occupied the city hall headquarters. The movement received support from Tembé Indigenous groups and leaders from the Union of Public Education Workers of Pará (Sintepp). The mobilization generated enough pressure for Mayor Pedrinho da Balsa (MDB) to make new commitments.

Agreement Reached

After meetings mediated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Acará city hall committed to:

• Renovating the Fé em Deus School;
• Expanding the Vila Formosa Central School to include four classrooms;
• Building a sports court;
• Removing the quilombola communities’ education management from an external administrative body and establishing an independent system within the territory;
• Constructing two new brick schools in the Manuel Simão and São José communities, ensuring that younger children can study close to home.

Additionally, it was decided that the Central School will be renamed Zumbi dos Palmares School.

Jota emphasized that if the municipality fails to fulfill these commitments, new protests will take place.

“The Public Prosecutor’s Office can fine the city hall and freeze education funds, but beyond that, we are ready to resume occupations. We can block the PA-252, the Alça Viária, or even the BR highway. We will not allow our children to be left without education,” he stated.

The quilombola communities now await the fulfillment of the agreement by March 10, the scheduled date for the resumption of classes in the territory.

Translated from Portuguese by Gustô Alves