Lula promises to accelerate the implementation of the UFSCar campus in Rio Preto and expand vacancies from Enem 2027

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), candidate for re-election, stated this Saturday (5), in São José do Rio Preto (SP), that he intends to accelerate the implementation of the campus of the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) in the city and increase the number of students served by the unit. According to the Minister of Education, Leonardo Barchini, the structure will have the capacity to receive 2,860 students.

During a speech during the visit to the future campus facilities, in Jardim Yolanda, Lula stated that he intends to work so that the university is able to receive more students starting with the National High School Exam (Enem) in 2027. The president also asked the dean of UFSCar to ask the Ministry of Education to speed up the renovation and preparation of the building.

"We can guarantee that, by Enem 2027, we can place many more people here. Help me show that the future starts here, now", stated Lula.

President Lula (PT), candidate for re-election, during a visit to the future facilities of the UFSCar campus in Rio Preto, this Saturday (5) — Photo: João Serantoni/TV TEM

The president also said that he intends to return to Rio Preto when the first Enem for admission to university takes place.

"When I have the first Enem here, I will come back", he declared.

The president also said that he intends to gradually expand the structure until it reaches around 2 thousand students and offers new courses.

Lula also explained that the implementation of the unit took time because of the processing involving land that had been donated by the City of Rio Preto. According to him, the federal government opted to purchase another building to make the installation more quickly viable.

"So, we found this building here, Caixa sent the assessment to the city hall, asked us, as it is cheap, we bought it. So, it's ready now", he stated.

According to Barchini, Rio Preto is the 18th university campus delivered during Lula's current term. In 2003, there were 140 university campuses, according to the minister, and Brazil currently has 360.

An industry operated in the building where UFSCar will be installed, but the structure had been deactivated for five years. Now the place will undergo renovations.

UFSCar's academic activities in Rio Preto began in March this year, still in a temporary location and with 90 students. There are three interdisciplinary bachelor's degrees: Science, Technology and Innovation; Science and Humanities; and Arts.

Lula with the dean of UFSCar and holding a baby, during a visit to the future facilities of the federal university campus in Rio Preto, this Saturday (5) — Photo: Photos: Monize Poiani/João Serantoni/TV TEM

Education as a priority

Education was the main theme of Lula's speech during his visit to the future Ufscar. The president stated that the country cannot develop without investment in the area and defended that students from low-income families have the same opportunities to access higher education.

"I want the children of the humblest person to have the same opportunity. I don't want to take anything away from anyone," he said.

Lula cited as an example the possibility of students from the periphery competing for places at public universities such as the University of São Paulo (USP) and UFSCar.

"I want to ensure that students from the periphery can do USP in São Paulo, can do UFSCar, can do any university, just the chance to give them the opportunity to sit at the same table, do the same Enem, and that the one who studied the most wins", he said.

The president linked the defense of education to his own trajectory. He recalled that he does not have a university degree and stated that the lathe technician course was decisive in improving his family's living conditions.

"I was the first child of eight children to earn more than the minimum wage. I was the first to have a refrigerator. I was the first to have a television. I was the first to have a car. I was the first to have a house. All this because of a technical course", he stated.

The country had around 140 technical schools and federal institutes before 2003, according to data presented by the Minister of Education during the event. According to Barchini, with 113 new units delivered in the current mandate, the network reached 657 technical schools and federal institutes.

Criticism of previous governments

During the speech, Lula also criticized previous governments in the area of education.

He stated that he found school meals had not been adjusted for seven years and said that the country had gone through a period of reduction in federal structures focused on areas such as culture, work, racial equality, women and human rights.

“Guys, we found this country dismantled,” he said.

Lula also criticized what he classified as a historic lack of investment in education and stated that the country cannot achieve economic and social development without expanding access to education.

Housing in Rio Preto

Before visiting the future Ufscar building in Rio Preto, Lula fulfilled his campaign commitment for re-election, with a rally in the city center, in the company of vice Geraldo Alckmin (PSB), Fernando Haddad (candidate for SP government by PT), among others. In his speech, he also cited federal government actions in the housing area in Rio Preto.

According to the president, the municipality had 21 thousand families without a home and the federal government contracted 16 thousand housing units to meet part of this demand.

Haddad, who spoke before Lula, also cited the numbers and stated that he intends to work to end the municipality's housing deficit.

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