Lula vetoes parts of Brazil's digital education policy due to budget constraints

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has signed the law on digital educational policy after it was approved by congress, but with certain passages vetoed, partly due to budget limitations.

The so-called PNED policy, passed by congress last year, was signed by Lula and published in the federal gazette on Thursday.

PNED's purported objective is to unify different digital education-related programs being carried out by municipalities, states and the federal government and organize them into a single national policy.

Specifically, the law states that students must receive training in digital skills and be educated about rights for the use and processing of personal data, as well as promoting the expansion and promotion of "safe" connectivity.

The funds to pay for the programs are expected to come from federal, state and municipal budgets and donations, as well as from the telecom universal services fund (Fust) and the fund for the technological development of telecommunications (Funttel).

The use of Fust to finance the new policy is only expected to take place from January 1, 2025. 

Fust was created in 2000 with the goal of universalizing telecom services provided under the public regime, that is, fixed telephony.

In 2020, a law was passed to change its purpose, enabling it to be used to finance the expansion of telecom networks in general, including broadband services.

In 2021, Fust collected 1.58bn reais (US$310mn) in total fees paid by telcos and since 2001 more than 45bn reais has been paid into the fund.

VETOES

Lula vetoed an item in the bill stating that student financing fund FIES, through which the government grants loans for university students to pay their studies, would be allocated to short-term programs in computing techniques and languages.

The government argued that this item is redundant, as the FIES law has no restrictions on funding for tech courses and programs. 

“In addition, any changes related to the prioritization of courses that may impact the offer of current vacancies must take into account the sustainability of the program and strict compliance with the budget allocation," the government stated in a release from congress.

The second item vetoed would have made digital education and teaching of computing and robotics, among other subjects, a compulsory component of the curriculum for elementary and high schools.

While making no objection to this, the government argued that changes in the curriculum must be first approved by the national council on education and by the education ministry itself.

Finally, the president vetoed an item that defined what a “book” is for the purposes of the law. According to the government, new formats and new technologies have expanded the concept of the term, and a specific policy for books is also being discussed in a separate bill in congress.