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Project under analysis in the Chamber targets automatic progression, broadens discussions on learning, and worries students about potentially stricter evaluations
A high-impact educational proposal has returned to the center of discussions in Brazil, drawing the attention of students, families, and education professionals. Bill 5,136/2019, presented by Congressman Bibo Nunes (PL-RS), proposes to prohibit so-called “automatic promotion” in Brazilian schools, with exceptions for early childhood education and situations related to students’ health.
The text was approved last July by the Education Committee of the Chamber of Deputies and has since been under consideration by the Constitution and Justice and Citizenship Committee (CCJC). In recent weeks, Congressman Bacelar (PV-BA) was appointed rapporteur for the proposal, replacing Congresswoman Rosangela Moro (União-SP), who was previously chosen last September. This development has reignited the debate on evaluation criteria, school progression, and the possibility of failing in the country.
Project reignites debate on automatic promotion
The proposal seeks to prevent students from automatically advancing without demonstrating sufficient learning within the school system. The project’s author, Bibo Nunes, stated in 2019, when he filed the bill, that automatic promotion would only serve statistical purposes, in addition to demotivating students and professionals involved in the educational process.
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According to the congressman, this model would also create a false sense of personal, educational, social, and economic success. The justification strengthened the argument for more rigorous evaluations and brought the functioning of continuous progression in education systems back into discussion.
How continuous progression works in Brazil
Continuous progression does not mean that public school students can never fail. In practice, the learning cycle is usually longer than one academic year, typically lasting between two and three years. During this period, students continue to advance within the cycle and receive remedial support measures.
Failure, therefore, can still occur at the end of this cycle if the student does not achieve the expected objectives. This model seeks to avoid immediate annual repetitions and prioritizes pedagogical support over a longer period.
States have already adopted longer learning cycles
According to a 2024 survey by BBC News Brazil, nine states had adopted the continuous progression system. Among them were Pernambuco, Ceará, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, and São Paulo, which adopted longer cycle formats in their networks.
The newspaper O Globo also explained that the model popularly known as “automatic promotion” is currently allowed only for elementary education. This scenario shows that the discussion involves different state networks and evaluation models already applied in the country.
Students fear failure with stricter evaluations
The possibility of change has increased students’ concern about tougher performance criteria. If the project moves forward, schools may reinforce requirements related to academic performance, attendance, and learning monitoring.
This fear grew because the proposal revives the chance of failure in an educational scenario that, in some networks, prioritizes recovery and reinforcement cycles. The discussion, however, still depends on legislative processing and final analysis in the Chamber of Deputies.
The future of school evaluations in Brazil
The project continues under analysis in the Constitution and Justice and Citizenship Committee, a necessary step before further movements in the Chamber. Meanwhile, the topic continues to divide opinions between those who advocate for stricter criteria and those who consider learning cycles important for reducing immediate repetitions.
The proposal highlights a central dilemma of Brazilian education: how to ensure real learning without turning failure into an even greater barrier for students?
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