The problems encountered by the pupils of the public education network of Paraná on their return from an international exchange upset the families who have not yet been able to recover their children. Of the 99 students who left for Canada in February this year, at least 17 experienced delays in their departure date to Brazil. According to the government of Paraná, the problem was temporary and has been corrected, but the families heard by the Plural are still not convinced of this version.

The State Department of Education selected 99 students from across the state to come to Canada. The students, chosen for their academic achievement, spent a semester in Canadian schools and are now returning to Brazil. It was the first edition of the Win the World program, one of the projects of which Governor Ratinho Jr (PSD) and his Secretary of Education, Renato Féder, are most proud in the current administration.

Last Thursday (30), a group of students began the process of coming. However, when they arrived at airports in Canada, they found they had no way to board≥ Families, upon learning of the issue, were upset by the situation, and some say they could not speak with their children. All the students are in high school and are 15 or 16 years old.

The Paraná government says the problem was not due to failures of the Ministry of Education or the company contracted to run the You Viagens program. The origin of the postponements is said to be the air chaos that Canada has faced in recent days, due to local summer holidays. According to the Ministry of Education, students whose flight was delayed on Thursday boarded on Friday. However, one of the families reported that their 16 year old daughter should have originally boarded on the 30th and eventually had her return postponed to this Tuesday (5).

According to the students’ relatives, the whole process has had unforeseen events and problems, including difficulties with boarding along the way and delays in the payment of student scholarships. The Secretariat denies any issues with the release and says the few issues with delays in scholarships were timely and resolved quickly. The government also claims that in a process involving a hundred students, it is normal for small unforeseen events to occur.

The Secretariat also claims that at no time were the students left unsupervised, since there would be teams at the airports and in direct contact with the exchange students. The government also clarifies that the second stage of Gaining the World, which will take place with exchanges in New Zealand, is maintained, even if it will be carried out under the direction of another company.