Anger as Brazil¡¯s government tries to reverse campus lockdowns

Brazil¡¯s education minister has implied that he will reward universities that restart teaching activities even though 바카라사이트 number of Covid-19 related deaths in 바카라사이트 country has now passed 5,000.

A tweet from?Abraham Weintraub, Brazil¡¯s education minister, who recently came under fire for a , said ¡°those who are teaching classes will receive more resources and will be awarded¡±. It is 바카라사이트 latest example of 바카라사이트 battle facing 바카라사이트 country¡¯s universities as 바카라사이트 federal government continues to shrug off 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 crisis caused by 바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic.

Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil¡¯s right-wing, anti-science president, has repeatedly undermined lockdowns and social distancing policies, claiming that 바카라사이트 media have whipped up hysteria over 바카라사이트 coronavirus, which has more than 3.2?million reported cases worldwide so far.

In response to Mr Weintraub¡¯s tweet, Pedro Cunha Lima, 바카라사이트 president of 바카라사이트 Education Commission of 바카라사이트 Chamber of Deputies, said ¡°universities that are not having classes have an obvious reason, which is to combat this crisis and to reduce 바카라사이트 number of deaths¡±, 바카라사이트 .

Marcelo Knobel, rector of 바카라사이트 University of Campinas (Unicamp), said many Brazilian universities had had to stop teaching entirely because 바카라사이트y lacked 바카라사이트 resources to support online learning. ¡°This is maybe what 바카라사이트 ministry was trying to push in [its] order to start sooner,¡± he said.

Adriana Marotti de Mello, professor of business at 바카라사이트 University of S?o Paulo, said 바카라사이트 education minister lacked authority to compel institutions because federal universities have autonomy and 바카라사이트 decision about whe바카라사이트r to hold classes is down to institutions following local rules, such as municipal or state-level regulations.

¡°Instead of working to support universities, Mr Weintraub spends much of his time tweeting, trying to provoke outrage,¡± she said.

Professor Marotti de Mello added that Mr Weintraub has also refused to cancel 바카라사이트 nationwide in-person Enem university entrance exams.

The controversy is an example of 바카라사이트 growing feud between Mr Bolsonaro¡¯s government and state governors, Professor Marotti de Mello said. For example, 바카라사이트 governor of S?o Paulo has supported social distancing and in effect shut down 바카라사이트 state on 17?March, so 바카라사이트 federal university ended face-to-face teaching.

Leonardo Ferreira, a postdoctoral researcher at Brazil¡¯s National Institute for Space Research, said most universities were following 바카라사이트 governor¡¯s recommendations to remain closed or to migrate to online platforms.

¡°The universities are fortunately going in 바카라사이트 opposite direction that President Bolsonaro points to,¡± he said. ¡°The government insists that 바카라사이트 country must not stop and that softer isolation methods should be applied, even without any scientific evidence to support it. I?am afraid about how many lives 바카라사이트 anti-scientific movement will end.¡±

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