Seduc receives representatives from the TJ of Rondônia to share restorative justice practices developed in schools in Pará
During the meeting, the Secretary of Education of Pará presented the actions carried out in partnership with TJPA to build a culture of peace in the school environment
The public education system in Pará continues to advance at all levels. In addition to the investments from the Government of Pará in the reconstruction of schools, valuing the school community, and improving the quality of education, successful practices that ensure safety and comfort within the school environment are also part of the commitment reinforced by the State Secretary of Education (Seduc), which, in partnership with the Court of Justice of the State of Pará (TJPA), promotes a culture of peace in the school network through Restorative Justice Circles.
To discuss this work developed by Seduc and TJPA and the successful restorative justice practices in schools throughout the state, two representatives from the Court of Justice of Rondônia (TJRO) visited the headquarters of Seduc in Belém on Wednesday (11) to closely observe the actions developed, exchange experiences, and strengthen collaboration between the courts in building safer and more welcoming school environments.
During the meeting, Seduc presented the programs and initiatives that have been implemented in the State to promote restorative justice in the school environment, highlighting the positive results achieved so far. One of the main initiatives is the implementation of restorative circles, which promote dialogue and collaborative conflict resolution.
"For us, it was a very pleasant surprise to know that we are at the forefront of this topic, especially in such an important region as the north of the country, positioning us as a reference. We are being an inspiration for other places, other territories, and it is great that we are receiving a visit like this with the perspective that education works, that we are advancing in restorative justice as a public policy," stated the coordinator of the Educational Coexistence Advisory (ACE) and director of Diversity and Inclusion (DDI) at Seduc, Mário Augusto Almeida.
According to the social worker of ACE, Larissa Castro, the results in the state education network are directly linked to the commitment of the management. "It makes all the difference when the Secretary of Education understands this as a public policy, and today we have a normative instruction that reinforces this, restorative justice, as a working axis of the Educational Coexistence Advisory, which is what we have been working on, the issue of the culture of peace and restorative circles in our schools. Today we managed to train the entire metropolitan region, 233 servers from all DRS, so we are making progress in this issue of the culture of peace," she commented.
The TJ representatives from Rondônia, Elivania de Lima and Widia Paiva, also visited the Santa Maria de Belém State School in the Batista Campos neighborhood to observe, in practice, the restorative circles conducted by the psychologists of the Regional Education Directorate (DRE) Belém 2 with the students of the unit.
"I will leave here with the idea that people are seeking to improve the lives of others, professionals who work effectively. It seems to me that this work is flowing here. I am leaving here excited," shared Elivania de Lima.
Building Peace - The partnership with the Restorative Justice Coordination (CJR) of TJPA, within the Safe School Program of Seduc, aims to implement institutional actions to transform schools into democratic spaces, with the goal of building a culture of non-violence through dialogue. Furthermore, in 2024, Seduc and TJPA signed a Cooperation Agreement to consolidate the culture of peace in schools through restorative justice. As part of this partnership, 19 instructors of Restorative Justice Circles and Peace Building were certified, forming facilitators to act in state schools.
The course for instructors of Restorative Justice Circles and Peace Building is the only one conducted in the North region and complies with Resolution No. 225 of the National Justice Council (CNJ), which establishes the National Policy on Restorative Justice. "Our goal is to create healthy relationships within the school, where children can feel safe and respected and where teachers can also feel welcomed. Our aim is for circular practices to develop within the school to create healthy relationships and truly build a culture of peace," emphasized the technician of the Restorative Justice Coordination (CJR) of TJPA, Josefa Dutra.
