By JULIO CESAR TELES
Why are we on strike? The fight is for public education
I decided to write this text to discuss with anyone who has questions or concerns about the strike by education professionals in the city of São Paulo. For some, it may seem like just another strike by a category that has already won several rights. But for us, this strike represents much more: the defense of our basic rights and the very existence of a quality public education.
I often hear, especially in the school community where I work, that strikes “harm children.” And that is a legitimate concern. However, it is precisely to protect our students that we are on strike. It would make no sense to fight for free, secular, quality public education if it puts students at risk. What we want is precisely the opposite: to prevent the dismantling of education that is currently underway.
We have also heard from government officials that “there is no reason to strike.” But I invite you, workers, fathers, mothers, and guardians, to reflect: how many times have you had your rights threatened or taken away? How did you feel? What would you do if you were in our shoes? We do not occupy the streets for just any reason.
Before the strike was declared, we exhausted all attempts to negotiate with the municipal administration. We held strikes on March 18, held demonstrations at the Regional Education Directorates (DREs) – 31/3 DRE Butantã, 02/4 DRE Santo Amaro, 04/4 DRE Itaquera, 07/4 DRE Campo Limpo, 09/4 DRE Pirituba/Jaraguá –, presented agendas and awaited a response.
The strike officially began after the April 15 strike, when the municipal government unilaterally and disrespectfully sent a bill to the City Council without consulting the unions, during the negotiation process. This bill takes away the category's historic rights and does not adjust wages in line with inflation, as required by law.
Furthermore, we are experiencing the consequences of Law 18.221/24, enacted last year, which represents a severe blow to education professionals. The law allows, for example, tenured teachers, with years of training and dedication, to be arbitrarily transferred from their schools if they are on a module. Imagine planning your entire life around a workplace, and suddenly being informed that you could be transferred to any region of the city. This affects not only our personal lives, but also the pedagogical bond between educator and student. Is this fair?
Another central point of our mobilization is the threat of privatization of public education. How can we guarantee truly democratic, community-based education focused on the public interest if companies whose focus is profit start to manage schools? The example of Enel, CPTM, Sabesp and other privatizations in the state shows that the cost to the population increases – and the quality of services does not improve.
And you, who follow the day-to-day running of the school, know: the classrooms are crowded, the heat is unbearable, the infrastructure is precarious. Many students need specialized support that the school cannot provide. Instead of increasing investments, what we see is the dismantling of public education, possibly as a way of weakening it until privatization seems an inevitable solution.
These are just some of the reasons that led us to strike. We know that this is not an easy fight. But we believe that this is not just for education professionals: it is a fight for the entire society that believes in the right to free, inclusive, quality public education.
We are on strike because we want to preserve and improve municipal public education. We are fighting to guarantee our students the right to an inclusive, diverse, and humane school – one that prepares them for a future with more opportunities that so many generations have been deprived of.
And, if anyone still has doubts about the value of this fight, here is the phrase I saw on a poster today, during the demonstration:
“Struggling teachers are also teaching.”
*Julio Cesar Teles He has a master's degree in history from Unifesp and is a teacher in the municipal network of the city of São Paulo..
