Education Minister Weintraub discusses federal universities and private sector regulation

Brazilian Education Minister Abraham Weintraub has reaffirmed his commitment to supporting federal universities and institutes. During a meeting with federal deputies from Bahia, Weintraub expressed opposition to the privatization of public higher education institutions, stating, “I am against it, I want to save them.” He addressed previous budget freezes by attributing them to crises left by former administrations and noted potential improvements for 2020.

To promote autonomy, the minister highlighted the “Future-se” program, which allows institutions to retain revenue generated from their own assets, such as real estate, rather than having funds held by the National Treasury. This initiative aims to encourage entrepreneurship and financial independence within federal institutions.

In a separate engagement at the 21st National Forum of Private Higher Education in São Paulo, Weintraub proposed a model of self-regulation for private higher education institutions. He challenged the sector to present a collective organizational proposal to gain greater operational freedom. He clarified that while the sector would self-regulate, the Ministry of Education would maintain state supervision to ensure compliance and accountability.