Address by the President of the Republic, Michel Temer, during ceremony to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the National Fund for the Development of Education - FND
I naturally want to salute Rossieli, who, along with his colleagues in [the Ministry of] Education, colleagues in Education, did beautiful work, and work that has the mark of originality. Because they distribute millions of textbooks and reveal how important reading is to those who are becoming educated, and right at the beginning - is it not, Senator Izalci? –, right at the beginning of their learning journey. Because it is through reading that we introduce ourselves to the world, isn't it? Especially in our mental world, Deputy Juscelino, Deputy Mauro Pereira, we have succeeded by introducing ourselves through them.
But the originality part is in what he has just told me, which is precisely the Braille book. Extraordinary originality, that is, in distributing educational books, this also reveals a great social concern, because after all it welcomes those who, in principle could not read, but now they will read, like our student - it's Gabriel, right? – Gabriel Caribé, who would like to receive a new round of applause, I realise.
I want to salute ministers Eliseu Padilha, Carlos Marun,
Sílvio Pinheiro,
I have already saluted the parliamentarians,
and the Secretaries of Education in attendance.
and the ladies and gentlemen in attendance.
I would like to speak, very quickly, of my joy - right, Rossieli? – for being here, Sílvio Pinheiro, in this celebration of the 50th anniversary of the National Fund for the Development of Education. It's the Golden Wedding anniversary, correct? A well-celebrated Golden Wedding, I have no doubt. Golden Wedding because it is the bond between teachers, principals and students.
And this ceremony, I must say... When it was suggested that this fiftieth anniversary be celebrated here at the Planalto Palace, I accepted at once. And, of course, for one simple reason: because we are, after all, conquering, marking an achievement of Brazilian society, aren't we? After all, the Fund, Sílvio Pinheiro, has played, for five decades, a key role in education in our country. This sense of continuity, of permanence of our institutions must always be valued.
And today we are taking a very important step towards the modernisation of the Fund itself, ensuring money can come more swiftly to the states, to the schools with a bank card, which has just been distributed. The Secretariats of Education will have immediate access to the resources of the Fund from now on. Bahia and São Paulo, for example, can already participate in this novelty, which will soon be available to other states. So, with these very simple words, revealing once more... there is even a curious piece of data: with the card that we distribute, the school meal card, we can serve more than 50 million meals a day. So books on one side, meals on the other. So, it is an extraordinary achievement that takes place in the Ministry of Education and in our government, a government that, as all the friends here know, is focused on major reforms.
And it was not without reason that we did, at the outset, the upper secondary education reform, longed for, desired, anticipated, desired by thousands of members of our Brazilian Education and which, for more than 20 years, could not be carried out. When Mendonça Filho and Rossieli brought me the proposal, we have done it, and today it already produces substantial results. One of them, no doubt, is in this celebration of the 50th anniversary of FNDE.
My congratulations to all the educators of Brazil, and a round of applause for our children that are the future of our country.