Education in Brazil faces enormous challenges, such as regional inequalities and a lack of resources. The collaborative approach seeks to address these challenges by promoting a more equitable and efficient educational system.

According to Article 211 of the 1988 Federal Constitution: “The Union, the states, the Federal District, and the municipalities shall organize their education systems on a collaborative basis.” Subsequently, legislation such as Constitutional Amendment No. 59/2009 and the National Education Plan (PNE), established by Law No. 13,005/2014, reinforced the need to strengthen federal ties and to create a National Education System (SNE) that coordinates the different levels of government.

Thus, the Brazilian legal framework establishes that collaboration between states and municipalities plays an important role in improving learning outcomes, both in municipal and state school systems.

In addition, Article 10 of the Law on Educational Guidelines and Foundations (LDB), established by Law No. 9,394/1996, assigns to the states the responsibility for organizing the school system and the collaboration framework:

“Art. 10. The states shall be responsible for: I—organizing, maintaining, and developing the official agencies and institutions of their education systems; II—defining, in conjunction with the municipalities, forms of collaboration in the provision of elementary education, which shall ensure the proportional distribution of responsibilities, in accordance with the population to be served and the financial resources available at each of these levels of government.”

Therefore, it can be concluded that states are committed to providing education throughout their entire territory, encompassing both state and municipal school systems. To this end, the São Paulo State Education Plan, approved by Law No. 16,279/2016, sets forth in its Annex the Goals and Strategies for achieving its objectives.

Goal 1 of the Plan states: “To make preschool education universal by 2016 for children aged 4 (four) to 5 (five) years old and to expand the availability of early childhood education in daycare centers so as to serve at least 50% (fifty percent) of children up to 3 (three) years old by 2023.” To this end, some of the established strategies are described below:

“1.2. In collaboration with the federal government and municipalities, develop policies for early childhood education based on principles of respect for human rights, ethnic and racial diversity, and socio-environmental sustainability—principles that are fundamental to ensuring democratic access, continued enrollment, and meaningful learning.”

[...] 1.3. In collaboration with the Union and the municipalities, provide public school systems with educational resources that are compatible with the CAQ as set forth in the National Education Plan.

[...] 1.9. Support the implementation, in collaboration with the Union and the municipalities, of an early childhood education assessment based on national quality standards, in order to evaluate physical infrastructure, staffing, management conditions, educational resources, accessibility, and other relevant indicators, particularly for small municipalities.”

In this regard, cooperation between the state and municipal governments in education—in addition to being a legal prerogative—can be a key factor in revolutionizing education in Brazil. However, it is important to outline some requirements for the success of this cooperation:

- Joint planning: the state and municipalities should work together to develop an action plan that addresses educational priorities and goals, in line with national and regional guidelines;

- Definition of responsibilities: each state or territorial government must have a clear understanding of its duties and responsibilities in implementing educational policies and initiatives, with the aim of ensuring efficient resource management and the quality of education;

- Technical and financial cooperation: the state may provide technical and financial support to municipalities, in accordance with the specific needs of each locality, to ensure that the goals and objectives set forth in the joint action plan are met;

- Monitoring and evaluation: The partnership between the state and municipalities should include mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating the actions and policies implemented, allowing for adjustments and corrections whenever necessary.

Based on these requirements, I present below the benefits of the Collaboration Program:

- Improving the quality of education: cooperation between the state and municipalities facilitates the exchange of experiences and the implementation of more effective educational policies and practices, thereby helping to raise the quality of education;

- Equity in access and retention: by working in a coordinated manner, the state and municipalities can promote equity in students’ access to and retention in school, thereby reducing educational disparities among different regions and social groups;

- Resource optimization: the collaborative framework enables the optimization of financial and human resources, preventing duplication of effort and ensuring more efficient and effective management of the educational system;

- Strengthening democratic governance: The partnership between the state and municipalities strengthens the democratic governance of education, expanding civil society’s participation in policy-making and in overseeing the use of public funds.

In short, the collaborative approach to education is a fundamental strategy for addressing the challenges facing education in Brazil, ensuring the development of a more equitable, efficient, and effective educational system.

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