A case study from Brazil’s public education system will be featured in an international production by the BBC, the United Kingdom’s leading public broadcaster. In partnership with Bett UK, the world’s largest global event for technology and innovation in education, the broadcaster will launch a 12-episode documentary series during the event, dedicated to educational initiatives from different countries. Bett UK will take place January 20–22, 2027, in London.

The episode dedicated to Brazil will feature the Pilar Full-Time Bilingual School in Alagoas, which uses the Systemic Bilingualmethodology. The announcement of this development was one of the highlights of the webinar “From Pilar to London: When Brazilian Public Education Takes on the World, ” hosted by Bett Brasil. The webinar is available on YouTube and can be accessed here.

For Adriana Martinelli, content director at Bett Brasil, this selection represents an opportunity to showcase successful examples of Brazilian education to an international audience. “We need to move beyond the perception of a country that can’t solve its education problems. At Bett UK, we’ll highlight Pilar’s story and present a side of Brazil that’s working,” she said.

During the webinar, Adriana also presented the activities of the Bett 2027 Delegation, which will take Brazilian professionals to London and Lisbon for an international immersion experience, including participation in Bett UK. According to the director, the experience represents an opportunity to tackle challenges, learn about other educational realities, and broaden the participants’ perspectives.

“The experience of participating in the Bett UK Delegation is innovative and leaves a lasting impression. For some people, it’s their first international trip or their first time in a country where Portuguese isn’t spoken. This can cause anxiety and a certain fear of the unknown, but it’s precisely this experience that helps us learn,” she explains. The executive notes that the courage to face new challenges aligns with the central theme of Bett Brasil 2027: “Courage to Transform.”

Public School in Pilar Gains International Recognition

The Pilar Full-Time Bilingual School in Alagoas has developed a bilingual education model for the public school system based on the Systemic Bilingual methodology. The program organizes the school day into two phases: during one part of the day, students take classes in core subjects in Portuguese; during the other, they engage in similar activities in English. The strategy aims to integrate second-language learning with the content outlined in the school curriculum.

Vanessa Tenório, CEO and co-founder of Systemic Bilingual, highlights the importance of international recognition for the institution’s history. “We are extremely proud to have been selected. It will be a chapter of international renown in the history of Systemic Bilingual,” she said.

According to Vanessa, the involvement of educators is essential to ensuring that Systemic Bilingual’s pedagogical approach is implemented in accordance with the established objectives. “The most important thing is close monitoring of the teachers. One of the factors that make a project successful is ensuring that educators apply the methodology correctly. Our approach is based on three pillars: methodology, teaching materials, and trained teachers, ” she explains.

Pilar’s experience has also sparked the interest of administrators and researchers from different states, who visit the municipality to learn how the model works. According to Vanessa, Systemic Bilingual is already present in 11 Brazilian municipalities, including two state capitals: Maceió and Belo Horizonte.

Students from Alagoas will take part in the program in London

The Brazilian delegation to Bett 2027 will also include two students from the Pilar Bilingual School: Mirelly de Amorim and Maria Júlia. As special guests of the initiative, they will have the opportunity to visit a British elementary school and interact with local students in English.

During the webinar, the students shared their experiences with bilingual education and their expectations for the trip. “I feel happy. We get to learn while playing. My favorite subject is science. In English, we get to discover all kinds of things, learn about animals, mix colors, do experiments, and play. We communicate in English,” said Maria Júlia.

Mirelly also highlighted the results of her time at school. “My experience at the bilingual school has been incredible. By second grade, I was already fluent. I feel privileged,” she said.

The Bett 2027 Delegation will hold events in London and Lisbon

The Bett 2027 Delegation will be organized into two international tracks, with activities in London, United Kingdom, and Lisbon, Portugal. The program includes technical visits, the exchange of experiences, networking, and participation in Bett UK 2027.

Track 1, designed for higher education administrators and leaders, will take place from January 13 to 22, 2027, with activities in both cities. In Portugal, participants will have access to a program curated by ABED, including technical visits to educational institutions.

Track 2, taking place from January 18 to 22, 2027, focuses on the London experience. Activities include technical visits to educational institutions, networking events, and participation in Bett UK 2027, featuring curated content and access to the VIP Lounge.

The initiative is aimed at various audiences involved in education, including executives, entrepreneurs, professionals from technology and educational solutions companies, university presidents, vice presidents, institution administrators, principals, managers, coordinators, teachers, consultants, researchers, and experts. Secretaries of education, public officials, representatives of government agencies, and public policy makers are also welcome to participate.

For Anderson Passos, the municipal secretary of education in Aratuípe (BA), who will be participating in the Bett UK Delegation for the fourth time, the international exchange is an opportunity to learn about other realities and identify practices that could contribute to Brazilian education.

“It’s a one-of-a-kind experience. It’s very important to share experiences, gain knowledge, and expand our professional network. Through technical visits to educational institutions, we can learn about different realities, teaching methods, and their unique characteristics. What’s interesting is understanding how education works in London, in the United Kingdom, and what we can adapt to our daily lives in Brazil. It’s an opportunity to open up new horizons for Brazilian students, including an international perspective,” he said.

Those interested in participating in the Bett 2027 Delegation can fill out the expression of interest form.

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