Bringing together three different states—represented by state and municipal secretaries of education, as well as a mayor—enriched the discussion during the panel “Building an Innovation Ecosystem for Public Education,” which took place during the 29th edition of Bett Brasil.

In the Public Education auditorium—one of this year’s new features—cases of innovation from the state of Mato Grosso and the cities of Joinville (SC) and São José dos Campos (SP), respectively, were presented by the deputy secretary of educational management, Nadine Moreira da Silva; the municipal secretary of education, Diego Calegari; and Mayor Anderson Farias. The discussion was moderated by Ricardo Schneider, Chief Scientific Officer of the SQUARE Ecosystem.

During the panel discussion, the figures, initiatives, and investments for each case were presented, along with the results achieved to date. The need for strategic planning to foster innovation in education was a point on which everyone agreed.

“Innovation cannot be a series of improvisations. Strategic planning is essential for creating an educational ecosystem of innovation. We must also have the humility not to reinvent the wheel, since innovation builds on foundations and projects that have already been laid and consolidated by others in the past,” emphasized Diego Calegari, Joinville’s secretary of education.

There was also a consensus that valuing and involving teachers is essential to success in an innovation ecosystem. “You can have the best technology, but if you don’t have a qualified and motivated teacher, innovation won’t happen,” emphasized moderator Schneider.

According to the mayor of São José dos Campos, Anderson Farias, the greatest investment to be made is in people. He says that education is the city’s top priority and the area with the largest budget allocation. “Technology is useless without people, and we won’t change the future if we don’t invest in education today. We must keep in mind that education isn’t an expense—it’s an investment,” he emphasized.

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