Understand why Indigenous people occupied a public building at the COP30 host city

BELÉM (PA) – Indigenous peoples occupied the headquarters of the Pará State Secretariat of Education (Seduc-PA), located in the Icoaraci District of Belém, this Tuesday, the 14th, in protest against changes introduced by the state government to the teaching profession. The public demonstration gained visibility on social media, but the complexity of the issue remains poorly understood by most of the population.

The protest was triggered by the New Teaching Career Bill, drafted by Seduc-PA and approved in December of last year by the Legislative Assembly of Pará (Alepa). This bill altered the structure of the Modular Education System (Some), which was created in the 1980s to bring education to remote communities, such as riversides, quilombola and indigenous.

The main change introduced by the new legislation was the withdrawal of the 2014 Law that regulated Some, transferring its management to Seduc and subjecting the system to working conditions defined by ordinances. Among the most contested changes is the creation of complexity levels that determine the amount of bonuses teachers receive.

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“Previously, Some educators received a fixed bonus of R$8,000, but now the amounts vary according to the classification of the locality: level 1 receives R$1,000; level 2, R$3,000; level 3, R$5,000; and level 4, R$7,000. It’s announced as if all teachers would receive R$7,000,” said a Some educator interviewed by the reportage, who wished to remain anonymous.

The teacher pointed out that the criteria for classifying localities have not been disclosed, causing uncertainty and dissatisfaction among educators. Additionally, temporary professionals, who previously received 80% of the bonus, now receive only 40%.

The new policy not only reduced bonuses but also left educators facing even greater financial challenges. The interviewee reported that, out of the R$8,325 they used to receive, nearly R$5,000 was deducted for income tax, while transportation costs to isolated regions can exceed R$600 per week.

“We have high mobility expenses. I use a car, pay for gas, maintenance, and when the locality is very remote, I also have to leave the car parked, pay for boats, and share costs with colleagues. I’ve spent up to R$600 per week just on transportation,” the teacher said.

Indigenous Education at Risk

The precarious conditions also directly impact indigenous education. In Santarém, in western Pará, for instance, only two of the 46 teachers working in the Indigenous Modular Education System (Somei) are tenured civil servants. The others, hired on a temporary basis, face even greater difficulties with the reduction in bonuses. Since its inception, Some has played a fundamental role in ensuring access to education in areas where conventional schools do not reach. In municipalities such as Abaetetuba, it still serves elementary education, although it is primarily focused on high school education.

Throughout the day, protesters demanded dialogue and greater transparency in the state government’s decisions. For educators, the survival of Some and Somei depends on public policies that value the profession and ensure adequate investments to maintain the quality of education in indigenous and riverine communities.

“Although the government claims that Some teachers can earn up to R$27,000, this reality is limited to isolated cases of professionals with decades of experience. For the majority, especially those at the beginning of their careers, the amounts are significantly lower, contributing to a sense of devaluation,” said the interviewed educator. “We are responsible for bringing education to places no one else reaches, but we are treated as a problem. It’s heartbreaking“, they concluded.