11/11/2020

At the IMPA-SBM Awards, Fantástico shows the effects of cuts at CNPq.

The Fantástico report that showed the impact of the CNPq scholarship cuts on the lives of medalists in the Brazilian Mathematics Olympiad for Public Schools (OBMEP) came in second place in the IMPA-SBM Journalism Award. Conducted by TV Globo reporter Murilo Salviano, the report used the story of medalist Natália Brito Lopes, from Cocal dos Alves, Piauí, as its starting point.

The Augustinho Brandão State School, where Natália studies, is one of the highlights of the story. More than 120 OBMEP medalists have graduated from there, and they were eligible to apply for a R $ 400 scholarship upon entering higher education. Among them are the only three doctors from Cocal dos Alves.

To achieve these results, the students also started having classes on Saturdays. “OBMEP has been identifying some of the most talented young people over the years. On the other hand, it also creates a dynamic of interest in mathematics within schools,” said Marcelo Viana, director-general of IMPA, to Fantástico. In September of last year, after a report about scholarship cuts, a solidarity network was formed to help Natália .

Reproduction of the news report "Medalists at the Mathematics Olympiad fear the future of their studies with scholarship cuts ," from Fantástico.

The government doesn't have the money to pay students who depend on scholarships to continue their studies. The lack of funding will interrupt everything from cutting-edge research to projects that keep teenagers in the classroom during the school year. Fantástico went to the interior of Piauí to see firsthand the impact of this news in a city where the dream is to be a math teacher.

Medalists in the Mathematics Olympiad receive a scholarship of R $ 100 per month for one year. The Olympiad is organized by the Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics (IMPA) and involves public schools throughout almost the entire country. Six thousand scholarships of R$100 are awarded to medalists each year.

In Cocal dos Alves, students have extra math classes on Saturdays, from 8 am to 5 pm. An investment that has already brought more than 120 medals to a public school in the region. "Deep down, their greatest interest is getting into university," says Professor Amaral.

Anyone who had ever been a medalist could apply for a scholarship of R$ 400 when entering higher education. It was with this money that the only three doctors in the city financed their studies.

Watch the full report!