“Full-time school comes late because maybe we did not do it 20 years ago, 15 years ago, 30 years ago. We did not do it, certainly because someone said it cost too much,” Lula said at the ceremony.

Under these circumstances, Lula recalled, “the poorest people, the neediest people’ are always left without benefits.”

He called for valuing teachers stressing that the program is not only about extending the period of permanence of students in school since both a motivating curriculum and an environment are needed for young people.

“The climate issue has to be discussed in school; otherwise, children do not help educate parents at home. There are lots of things we have to debate on at school because children can change their parent’s minds,” Lula added.

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