This Tuesday (6/21), the Ministry of Education (MEC) carried out the delivery of the Connected Education Innovation Policy (PIEC) pilot project in public basic education schools in Petrolina (PE) and Juazeiro (BA). In all, 266,000 students from 473 schools in the interior of the Northeast will benefit from a high-speed Wi-Fi internet infrastructure capable of supporting digital technologies for use in pedagogical activities.

Instituted by Law No. 14,180, of July 1, 2021, PIEC aims to expand high-speed internet access in schools and, consequently, promote digital inclusion and digital transformation in the covered teaching units. The investment by MEC's Secretariat of Basic Education is BRL 18 million. In this first phase, the pilot project was carried out by the National Education and Research Network (RNP).

“We had a big challenge, that of bringing connectivity and innovation to schools. But also to use them in pedagogical activities. Today, 473 schools received the very best in technology”, declared the Minister of Education, Victor Godoy. According to the minister, MEC's goal is to connect all public basic education schools by 2023.

“Internet access has become everyone's right. How do we ensure digital inclusion for basic education students? This inauguration is one of those actions”, declared MEC's Secretary of Basic Education, Mauro Rabelo.

In Juazeiro, the delegation visited the Estação do Saber school and was able to learn about the project in conjunction with Minecraft, in which teachers apply games to pedagogical tasks to enhance student learning. The result is greater interest from younger people and more interactive learning, which can be done both in the classroom and at home.

The opening events included technical visits in Petrolina and Juazeiro. The Minister of Education, Victor Godoy; the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovations, Paulo Alvim; the Secretary of Basic Education of the Ministry of Education, Mauro Rabelo; and the general director of the National Education and Research Network (RNP), Nelson Simões, in addition to local authorities, participated in the delegation.

About the PIEC pilot project

As the executor of the pilot project, RNP connects basic education schools to its infrastructure, via optical fiber, which provides high-speed internet access (from 100 Mb/s). In addition, RNP implements the internal network, providing schools with Wi-Fi connection equipment, with security, cloud management and quality signal for users.

In this first phase, the PIEC covers public, urban, state and municipal schools in the cities of Caicó (RN), Campina Grande (PB), Caruaru (PE), Juazeiro (BA), Mossoró (RN) and Petrolina (PE). In 30 days, around 290 Gigabytes of data were transferred to the schools covered.