Maringa, Brazil – Admission to a public university in Brazil is a dream for many students who want to continue their studies, but for many it is not an accessible reality.
There are two main reasons why public universities are attractive.
The first is money. There are no tuition fees because the federal and state governments are responsible for maintaining and investing in public universities.
The second reason is that Japan is highly recognized in society as an important research center and center of innovation.
According to the National University of Minas Gerais, public universities are responsible for 90% of the country's scientific research production.
However, there is a gap between theory and reality for this type of university.
“It's not as accessible as it should be. When we went to public school, we weren't prepared for common exams like the national high school exam and the state university selection exam,” said Maringa State University. says Tatiana Moreira (25), who studies media communication.
To apply to public universities, students must pay high tuition fees and take competitive standardized tests, including national high school exams and local university exams. It is also the only way to enroll in public secondary education, so you must prepare in advance.
Students at Maringa State University are very worried about whether the university will be able to accept new students after applicants receive the results of their applications in early February.
“Maringa State University, as a public institution, should improve its infrastructure,” said Matheus Pereira, 24, a communications and media major at the school. He said some departments, like his, don't have their own buildings and share space with other departments.
Pereira also spoke to Youth Journalism International about the lack of resources facing universities.
“We lack the materials and even the laboratories we need for classes. We don't even have basic resources to study!” Pereira said.
Pereira said Maringa State University is considered one of the top universities in the country, but its facilities and infrastructure do not meet the standards of a top school. Students sometimes have to deal with power outages.
“We must constantly fight for improvements and further investment to ensure better education for all,” Pereira said.
What are universities doing about it?
According to Paraná state's transparency portal, from 2016 to 2021, funds allocated to public universities decreased by approximately 313 million reais (approximately 63 million US dollars).
Maringa State University experienced budget cuts of approximately 134 million reais (US$27 million) during the same period.
In May 2023, a national syndicate of Brazilian higher education professors mobilized to expose poor working conditions and infrastructure problems plaguing public universities in Paraná state.
The strike, which served as a means for professors to develop career plans and pressure the government to meet their demands, attracted participation from seven public universities in Paraná state.
Maringa State University education syndicate chairman Professor Thiago Ferraiol said teachers have not received salary adjustments for seven years.
“The government is run in an authoritarian and anti-democratic manner,” Ferraiol said.
Another important reason for educators' mobilization was the General Universities Act, which concentrated decision-making power in the hands of the government and reduced universities' autonomy.
Estevan Pastori Galvin, an adjunct geography teacher at Maringa State University, said the situation is particularly dire for adjunct educators, who face high-pressure teaching environments and overwhelming workloads.
“Adjunct teachers are basically put out of work,” Garvin said.
Garvin said that since the provincial government passed the General Universities Act in December 2021, the workload for temporary undergraduate faculty has increased significantly.
“The challenge is maintaining the quality of my work with my students. The university pays me for 40 hours a week, but my workload definitely exceeds this limit,” Garvin says. spoke about the impact on his life.
He detailed how this labor law led to widespread disease. He said his anxiety increased and he developed insomnia and stress.
Additionally, Garvin told YJI that many of her colleagues face sexual assault situations in the workplace, making the situation even worse.
“The current situation is unreliable, vile and immoral. In my 14 years here, as a student and now as a teacher, I have never seen it get this bad,” Garvin said. .
In June 2023, the student community was eager for action and five months later the government announced new proposals.
The proposal outlines additional increases based on educational attainment. However, it remained silent on the situation of temporary professors, and teachers said there was a lack of efforts to improve the quality of education and infrastructure.
Initially a movement by educators, it attracted the attention of students at Maringa State University, who expressed their dissatisfaction.
Students spoke out against deep funding cuts to universities, exorbitant meal plan costs, lack of housing, and inadequate infrastructure.
When their voices were ignored, they chose to protest
Frustrated by the silence, the Central Student Union called for a vote in support of a strike last November. Of the 20,000 registered students, only 500 participated. The strike received 317 votes in favor and 188 votes against.
“This strike is extremely important because our universities are in turmoil. Professors aren't just fighting for themselves; they're advocating for us, too.” said Dandara Starmer, 27, a student in the Department of Communication and Media Studies. “How can[Maringa State University]claim to be one of the best universities in Brazil when it lacks basic resources?”
Following the student protests and occupation, the university's president on November 13 agreed to the students' call for a strike and signed a contract with the student union.
The deal includes reducing the cost of dining plans, enhancing public lighting, providing more research scholarships, allocating resources to stalled construction projects, including housing, and increasing student involvement in decision-making. etc. are included.
But recognizing its limits, the movement began to lose momentum. Following litigation with other institutions, Maringa State University also suspended its strike the following day to monitor the government's next steps.
“So far, the strike has been very successful, but we have lost momentum with other universities, making it difficult to sustain significant change,” said Ferraiol, president of the teachers' union.
Starmer, a communication major, expressed her dissatisfaction after the strike was called off.
“While I appreciate the collective efforts of students and professors, I don't believe it has made much of a difference, especially for adjunct faculty,” Starmer said. “Without two weeks of classes, the end of the year will be tough.”
The educational and infrastructure situation in Maringa and many other public institutions across the country has not changed since this movement arose.
“This should be revisited so that more people can access university for free,” said Moreira, also a communication and media student.
Nicole Luna is a correspondent for Youth Journalism International.