👮 Kids or cadets?

The Brazilian school year began differently for 53,000 students in the state of São Paulo. The 100 schools they attend were converted by Governor Tarcísio de Freitas’s administration into so-called “civic-military” institutions.

Under the model adopted in São Paulo, this means retired military police officers and firefighters are placed in charge of discipline in schoolyards and extracurricular activities, while teachers and principals remain civilians. This structure should not be confused with the small number of traditional military schools, which are generally higher-performing institutions funded through defense budgets and primarily intended for the children of officers who are frequently transferred across the country.

Although these 100 facilities represent just 1.5% of São Paulo’s public school system, Freitas’s decision reflects a…

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