The first day of Bett Brasil 2026, Latin America’s largest event on Innovation and Technology in Education, featured discussions on the main challenges, advances, and opportunities in Brazilian education—many of which are already at the center of public debate—such as funding, the implementation of public policies, artificial intelligence, inclusion, and the role of educators in a rapidly changing landscape.

In the Basic Education Auditorium, the panel discussion on the new National Education Plan (PNE 2024–2034) offered a pragmatic perspective on what lies ahead. At a time when the country is debating education goals, indicators, and funding, the experts emphasized that the challenge lies not only in formulating the plan, but in its implementation. Participants included Helio Daher, Secretary of State for Education of Mato Grosso do Sul; Luiz Miguel Garcia, president of Undime; Petrucio Ferreira, municipal education director and president of UNDIME-RN and the Northeast Region; and Leonardo Pascoal, Municipal Secretary of Education of Porto Alegre. “Education does not advance through goals alone; it advances when those goals are backed by funding, effective management, and prioritization,” stated Helio Daher.

Petrucio Ferreira stated during the panel that those involved in education must engage in dialogue, build bridges, and work to smooth out any rough edges.

The panel highlighted the direct impact of the PNE on school management, emphasized the importance of evaluation, monitoring, and ongoing efforts, and stressed the focus on equitable learning. Structural decisions were also discussed, such as resource allocation, teacher training, and priority setting—all of which must begin now to prevent the new plan from repeating unresolved historical bottlenecks.

“We’ve made progress in developing this plan, and it’s spot on in making learning a central element,” noted Leonardo Pascoal.

Luiz Miguel Garcia highlighted the role of education as a policy of equity: “Equity means doing things differently to promote equal access.”

At the Administrators’ Forum, the discussion on the “mix of intelligences” needed to transform schools took on even more concrete form by linking advances in artificial intelligence to the structural challenges facing education. The panel led by Luciano Meira, a professor at Proz Educação, and Silvio Meira, chief scientist at TDS.company, raised the point that simply incorporating technology is not enough; access, strategy, and the ability to use it must be ensured so that it can truly make an impact.

In a context marked by inequality, the debate underscored that educational transformation requires more conscious decisions about how to integrate innovation, pedagogy, and management. “There’s no point in advancing artificial intelligence if we don’t create the conditions for everyone to have access to the same opportunities to develop skills and abilities. Technology can reduce costs, but without equity, it can also widen inequalities,” noted Luciano Meira.

Silvio Meira introduced the concept of a “phygital” world —one that integrates the physical, digital, and social realms—to prompt reflection on the gap between people’s daily lives and the reality of schools. “Today, we have completely integrated experiences, but schools have not yet managed to interpret this within their own framework. The challenge is to redesign teaching practices so that technology makes sense within the learning process,” said Silvio.

According to the Meira brothers, technology only creates value when combined with human intelligence and the ability to coordinate within educational ecosystems.

Inclusion in Education

Inclusion also took center stage at the Administrators’ Forum, with the panel on neurodiversity going beyond mere rhetoric and proposing structural changes in the school environment. The panel was moderated by journalist and TV host Bruna Macedo, and the discussion featured Kadu Lins, CEO of the Autism Institute and the University of Inclusion, and Telma Pantano, a speech-language pathologist and educational psychologist at the Institute of Psychiatry at FMUSP’s Hospital das Clínicas.

The experts emphasized that inclusion cannot be treated as a one-time adjustment, but rather as a profound overhaul of culture, curriculum, and practices. Neurodiversity does not merely call for acceptance; it demands a transformation in relationships, in schools, and in the community.

“The biggest challenge today is ensuring that truly tailored education reaches everyone. Inclusion involves understanding each student, making the necessary adjustments, and creating viable pathways within each context. This also requires the trust of families and the school’s readiness to support students, including in their emotional development as they face the changes and challenges of the school environment,” said Kadu Lins.

For Telma Pantano, the starting point lies in understanding how the brain learns—and the different ways in which this happens. “Learning is not a simple process. It requires stimulation, consistency, and the right conditions for attention. And this doesn’t happen the same way for everyone. When we talk about neurodiversity, we’re acknowledging these differences. Schools need to understand these characteristics and develop strategies to address them, because diversity has always existed; what’s changing now is our level of understanding of it,” Telma emphasized.

Still on the topic of human transformation, the talk by João Branco, a marketing expert and former CMO of McDonald’s, was a true source of inspiration for educators to reflect on the role of purpose in the workplace.

João Branco opened his talk at Bett Brasil by posing a provocative question to the audience: “What is your work?” He answered with a vision that goes beyond each person’s job title or role: “Your work isn’t just where you exchange tasks for a salary. Your work is to be useful, using your talents, gifts, and skills to put into practice what can improve the lives of others. Intentions matter. Work with the right intention—to serve, help, and love your neighbor,” said the expert. In a landscape where educators face growing challenges—from burnout to the need to reinvent themselves in the classroom—the discussion on meaning and engagement took center stage at Bett Brasil.

The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Education

At the AI in Education Summit, the discussion turned to one of today’s most sensitive issues: Who makes the decisions in the age of artificial intelligence? The panel addressed topics such as ethics, algorithmic biases, and the risk of delegating educational decisions to technology—debates that have accompanied the rapid advancement of AI worldwide.

During the conversation withGuilherme Cintra of the Lemann Foundation;Américo N. Amorim, an education researcher; andGi Santos of Humania, the group discussed how to keep teachers at the center of the learning process, while avoiding the excessive delegation of decision-making to technology.

“What AI can enable are good dialogues, good conversations. There’s nothing more ancient than the technology of dialogue. It blurs the line between mastery of knowledge and the ability to teach, but AI hasn’t yet proven itself to be better than a teacher, and I don’t know if we want it to prove itself,” commented Guilherme Cintra.

To wrap up the day’s schedule of discussions, a roundtable conversation on protection and education in the digital environment highlighted an important point: fostering digitally literate citizens requires ongoing dialogue between schools, families, and society. Against the backdrop of increasing online risks, this issue takes on even greater relevance for administrators and educators.

Throughout the day, it became clear that, more than just trends, the topics discussed are already part of the reality of schools and require concrete solutions.

Second day of the event

Bett Brasil features a robust program that includes more than 450 national and international speakers, spread across 13 concurrent auditoriums. The activities include conferences, forums, and themed arenas, with innovative interactive formats such as the Aquarium, Roundtable, and Flipped Classroom. 

Among the highlights of the second day is the release of key findings from the OECD report “Digital Education Outlook 2026 – Exploring Effective Uses of Generative AI in Education”, a leading publication by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

In addition to the Transformative Educator Award ceremony—an initiative in partnership with Sebrae and the Significare Institute—which will announce the winners and honor those who transform education every day, the Bett Brasil program continues through May 8, with free admission.