Students occupy over 100 schools in São Paulo state

The São Paulo State Education Secretariat said Monday (Nov. 23) that 108 state schools have been occupied by students protesting against the closure of 94 schools throughout the state. The figure conflicts with the 114 occupied schools reported by the Teachers' Union.

Students are calling on the state government to discuss its plans to restructure the state school network more openly with the school communities and put off its implementation—the government announced it should take place as early as next year. Under the government's restructuring plan, schools will be separated into three groups (primary schools, middle schools, high schools), which will lead to several schools being shut down.

On Monday morning (23), the São Paulo Court (TJSP) turned down an injunction sought by the government to expel the occupiers. The defeat was celebrated by the union in a note saying that “even the courts recognize that the government is being authoritarian by not opening issues for debate and not listening to the communities.”

Translated by Mayra Borges