In São Paulo, the Children and Youth Unit of the Public Defender's Office, together with the Special Education Action Group of the Public Ministry, considered this day (8) the public practice, to help children in public schools with credit for school meals.
Help Credit
The aid credit will only be for children in extreme poverty, for those who receive some kind of government aid such as Bolsa Família, and others. Many children from public schools go to school to have meals, food that they do not have at home. In this difficult time of isolation due to the coronavirus, the government is trying to think of these children, the resources sent for school meals are for these children.
However, according to a note from the Public Prosecutor's Office, the Public Prosecutor and public defenders, they make it clear that school meals are universal. Therefore, they are equal for everyone, in order to ensure food for growth, learning and guarantee of academic performance.
Although the Planalto Palace also issued Law 13,987 of 2020, this law guarantees food to all public school students who have suspended classes due to the pandemic. The National School Feeding Program (PNAE) also provides resources for the parents or guardians of enrolled students to receive food.
Last year's School Census (2019) shows that in Brazil there are almost 39 million children and adolescents enrolled in public schools. Although there are just over 9 million students in private schools.
The person who reported the law was the senator from Alagoas, from the PSDB party, Rodrigo Cunha, who was “highly commendable” for his concern for feeding thousands of children and young people. He said that we are going through such a difficult time with the pandemic, and the role of the government is to help vulnerable children and adolescents. Based on the data and the law, it is clear that society can only overcome this crisis with social projects.