Skip to content
President Lulaindependent documentary archive

Independent archive. Not affiliated with Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Government of Brazil or any party. Who we are

System

Federal Network of Vocational, Scientific and Technological Education and Federal Institutes

Problem
Provision of vocational and technological education by the federal network. Since 1998, the creation of new units by the Union could only take place in partnership with states, municipalities, the Federal District, the productive sector or NGOs, responsible for maintenance and management; Law No. 11,195/2005 began to say that the partnership would take place preferably.
Who it serves
Elementary school graduates, the youth and adult education public, workers in initial and continuing training, and students in technology and teacher-training (licenciatura) degree programs.
How it works
Law 11,892/2008, decreed by the National Congress, established the Federal Network and created the Federal Institutes by transforming or integrating existing federal institutions, such as the Technical Schools, Agrotechnical Schools and the CEFETs of Law 8,948/1994, based on voluntary agreements between the institutions provided for in Decree 6,095/2007. Each Institute must guarantee at least 50% of its slots for technical vocational education at the high school level and 20% for teacher-training degrees (licenciaturas) and teacher education.

EducationScience and technology

Relation to the Lula governments

Reshaped under Lula · First term (2003 to 2006) · since November 2005

Law No. 11,195 of November 18, 2005, signed into law by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Fernando Haddad, gave new wording to § 5 of art. 3 of Law 8,948/1994, on expanding the provision of vocational education with the creation of new units by the Union.[1]

Paragraph 5 of art. 3 of Law 8,948/1994, added by Law No. 9,649/1998, provided that the creation of new vocational education units by the Union could only take place in partnership with states, municipalities, the Federal District, the productive sector or NGOs, responsible for maintenance and management. Law No. 11,195/2005 replaced 'can only take place' with 'will take place, preferably'.[2]

Created under Lula · Second term (2007 to 2010) · since December 2008

Law No. 11,892 of December 29, 2008, signed into law by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, established the Federal Network of Vocational, Scientific and Technological Education and created the Federal Institutes of Education, Science and Technology.[3]

Law 11,892/2008 defined the Federal Institutes as institutions of higher, basic and vocational education, multi-curricular and multicampus, equated with the federal universities for purposes of the provisions governing the regulation, evaluation and supervision of institutions and higher education courses, with autonomy to create and discontinue courses, within the limits of their territorial area of operation, as well as to register diplomas for the courses they offer, upon authorization of their Superior Council.[4]

Merged earlier initiatives · Second term (2007 to 2010) · since December 2008

Law No. 11,892 of December 29, 2008, signed into law by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, established the Federal Network of Vocational, Scientific and Technological Education and created the Federal Institutes of Education, Science and Technology.[3]

The Federal Institutes were created by transforming or integrating existing federal institutions. Examples: the IF of Acre, by the transformation of the Federal Technical School of Acre; the IF of Alagoas, by the integration of the CEFET of Alagoas and the Federal Agrotechnical School of Satuba.[5]

Origin and precursors

Origin milestone: founding legal act, Second term (2007 to 2010).

Law No. 11,892 of December 29, 2008, signed into law by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, established the Federal Network of Vocational, Scientific and Technological Education and created the Federal Institutes of Education, Science and Technology.[3]

Precursors

  • Pre-existing federal institutions transformed or integrated absorbed The Federal Institutes were created by transforming or integrating existing federal institutions. Examples: the IF of Acre, by the transformation of the Federal Technical School of Acre; the IF of Alagoas, by the integration of the CEFET of Alagoas and the Federal Agrotechnical School of Satuba.[5]
  • CEFETs (Law 8,948/1994) absorbed Law No. 8,948 of December 8, 1994, signed into law by Itamar Franco, transformed the Federal Technical Schools (created by Laws 3,552/1959 and 8,670/1983) into Federal Centers of Technological Education (CEFETs), with gradual implementation by a specific decree for each center.[6]
  • 1998 restriction on the creation of units by the Union replaced Paragraph 5 of art. 3 of Law 8,948/1994, added by Law No. 9,649/1998, provided that the creation of new vocational education units by the Union could only take place in partnership with states, municipalities, the Federal District, the productive sector or NGOs, responsible for maintenance and management. Law No. 11,195/2005 replaced 'can only take place' with 'will take place, preferably'.[2]
  • Decree 6,095/2007 (integration guidelines) earlier technical basis Decree No. 6,095 of April 24, 2007 established guidelines for integrating federal technological education institutions (CEFETs, ETFs, EAFs and schools linked to universities) by voluntary agreement, to form the IFETs, whose implementation would depend on a specific law.[7]

Precursor investigation: new structure established (October 13, 2026).

Scope: Norms and statements of reasons at the Planalto, publications of the ministries and oversight bodies, searches recorded in the dossier (research of October 13, 2026). A new legal form created on top of existing institutions; the originating bill was not identified.

Responsibilities

  • Ministry of Education federal management

    Under Law No. 11,892/2008, the Federal Network is linked to the Ministry of Education; the list of campuses that will make up each of the Federal Institutes created under this Law will be established in an act of the Minister of State for Education; the Superior Council is composed of representatives of the faculty, the students, the administrative and technical staff, the institution's alumni, civil society, the Ministry of Education and the Board of Directors (Colégio de Dirigentes) of the Federal Institute; and the creation of new federal vocational and technological education institutions, as well as the expansion of existing institutions, will take into account the Federal Institute model, also observing the parameters and rules defined by the Ministry of Education.[8]

  • Federal institutions (voluntary adherence) and National Congress legislative approval

    Under Decree 6,095/2007, integration began with a voluntary agreement between the institutions, approved by the superior bodies of each and supervised by the MEC's Secretariat of Vocational and Technological Education; the creation of the IFs required a law, and Law 11,892/2008 was decreed by the National Congress.[9]

Timeline

Timeline of Federal Network of Vocational, Scientific and Technological Education and Federal Institutes
DatePhaseWhat happened
November 18, 2005Legal actLaw 11,195 changes the rule for the expansion of the federal vocational education network.[1]
December 29, 2008Legal actLaw 11,892 establishes the Federal Network and creates the Federal Institutes.[3]

What was established

Law 11,892/2008 (art. 8) provides that the Federal Institute, in each fiscal year, must guarantee a minimum of 50% of its slots to meet the objectives defined in item I of the caput of art. 7 (to provide technical vocational education at the high school level, primarily in the form of integrated courses, for elementary school graduates and for the youth and adult education public) and a minimum of 20% of its slots to meet what is provided in subitem b of item VI of the caput of art. 7 (teacher-training degree courses, as well as special programs of pedagogical training, aimed at training teachers for basic education, especially in the areas of science and mathematics, and for vocational education). Compliance with these percentages must observe the concept of equivalent student, as regulated by the Ministry of Education.[10]

Under Law 11,892/2008, the teaching unit of an institution transformed or integrated into a Federal Institute automatically takes on the status of a campus of the new institution; positions and assets of the member institutions are transferred to the new Institutes.[11]

Who it serves

Among the objectives of the Federal Institutes in Law 11,892/2008 are to provide technical vocational education at the high school level, primarily in integrated courses, for elementary school graduates and for the youth and adult education public; to provide initial and continuing training courses for workers; and to provide, at the higher education level, technology degree courses and teacher-training (licenciatura) courses for basic education teachers.[12]

Budget and spending

Figures are nominal unless stated otherwise. Announced, authorized, committed, liquidated and paid amounts are different things and appear with the type indicated. In SIOP lines, "paid" means paid within the same fiscal year (arrears settled later are not counted), and one budget action can fund more than one program: the text says when the action is only part of a program.

In SIOP, nominal values: in 2007, action 1H10 (Expansion of the Federal Network of Vocational and Technological Education) had an authorized appropriation (law plus credits) of R$27,338,000, a commitment of R$22,896,339, a liquidation of R$22,896,339 and a payment in the fiscal year of R$6,785,735; in 2010, action 1H10 had an authorized appropriation (law plus credits) of R$458,908,773, a commitment of R$430,519,938, a liquidation of R$430,519,938 and a payment in the fiscal year of R$219,044,656. The action refers to the entire Federal Network of Vocational and Technological Education.[13]

In SIOP, nominal values: in 2010, action 8650 (Restructuring of the Federal Network of Vocational and Technological Education) had an authorized appropriation (law plus credits) of R$359,752,824, a commitment of R$351,179,534, a liquidation of R$351,179,534 and a payment in the fiscal year of R$139,816,006. The action refers to the entire Federal Network of Vocational and Technological Education.[14]

In SIOP, nominal values: in 2024, action 15R4 (Support for the Expansion, Consolidation and Restructuring of the Institutions of the Federal Network of Vocational, Scientific and Technological Education) had an authorized appropriation (law plus credits) of R$408,251,882, a commitment of R$407,298,443, a liquidation of R$121,711,666 and a payment in the fiscal year of R$110,493,687; in 2025, action 15R4 had an authorized appropriation (law plus credits) of R$815,504,550, a commitment of R$813,267,159, a liquidation of R$430,198,908 and a payment in the fiscal year of R$415,983,647. The action finances the expansion, consolidation and restructuring of the institutions of the entire Federal Network of Vocational, Scientific and Technological Education.[15]

Deliverables

Announcement, contracting, completion and operation are different phases.

According to the Federal Network Portal (MEC), from 1909 to 2002, 140 technical schools were built in the country; between 2003 and 2016, the MEC completed the construction of more than 500 new units of the expansion plan, totaling 644 campuses in operation, with 38 Federal Institutes present in all states.[16]

The MEC reports, on its page on the Federal Network (with no reference date), that the Federal Network is made up of 755 units linked to 39 Federal Institutes, two Cefets, the UTFPR, 22 technical schools tied to the federal universities, and the Colégio Pedro II.[17]

Impact evaluations

Evaluations with a causal design are flagged; association is not proof of effect.

According to the study by Bergmann, Ribeiro, Niquito and Teixeira (Análise Econômica, vol. 38, no. 77, 2020), which uses the difference-in-differences method, there is positive evidence of impact and synergies from the expansion of the federal institutes and universities on the employment rate and the formalization of jobs; the effects, when significant, appear in general to be stronger in smaller municipalities and among younger individuals. The authors caution that this is a first attempt to assess these impacts, made with a non-experimental technique, and recommend further evaluations with other techniques and data.[18]

Audits

In Ruling 506/2013-Plenary (operational audit of the Federal Network of Vocational Education), the TCU found high dropout rates in some of the Federal Institutes' courses: in the Proeja courses and the Subsequent Secondary courses (Médios Subsequentes) dropout reached 24% and 19% of those enrolled; in higher education courses, dropout was lower, but the percentage of graduates fell short of other institutions (10.7% in technology degree programs, compared with 25.5%, 19.5% and 21.1% in university centers, colleges and universities; in bachelor's and teacher-training (licenciatura) degrees, the percentages of graduates did not even exceed the 4% mark).[19]

Limitations

According to the report underlying TCU Ruling 506/2013-Plenary, the main factor putting at risk the quality of the Federal Institutes' educational services was the shortage of teachers and laboratory technicians: MEC spreadsheets, with data from April 2012, indicated a shortage of 7,966 teachers (19.7% of the total positions). In the rapporteur's vote, considering only the units installed in the second phase of expansion (2011 to 2012), dissatisfaction with the physical facilities rose to 75% of the teachers.[20]

What remains to be documented

  • Audits: Full text of Ruling 506/2013-Plenary (report and vote) not obtained in PDF.

Sources and evidence

Excerpts are quoted in the original language of the source.

  1. 1. Law No. 11,195 of November 18, 2005, signed into law by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Fernando Haddad, gave new wording to § 5 of art. 3 of Law 8,948/1994, on expanding the provision of vocational education with the creation of new units by the Union.

    • Lei nº 11.195, de 18 de novembro de 2005 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: art. 1 (new wording of § 5 of art. 3 of Law 8,948/1994). Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “§ 5º A expansão da oferta de educação profissional, mediante a criação de novas unidades de ensino por parte da União, ocorrerá, preferencialmente, em parceria com Estados, Municípios, Distrito Federal, setor produtivo ou organizações não governamentais”
    • Lei nº 11.195, de 18 de novembro de 2005 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: closing and signatures. Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “Brasília, 18 de novembro de 2005; 184º da Independência e 117º da República. LUIZ INÁCIO LULA DA SILVA Fernando Haddad”
    • Lei nº 11.195, de 18 de novembro de 2005 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: summary. Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “Dá nova redação ao § 5º do art. 3º da Lei nº 8.948, de 8 de dezembro de 1994.”
  2. 2. Paragraph 5 of art. 3 of Law 8,948/1994, added by Law No. 9,649/1998, provided that the creation of new vocational education units by the Union could only take place in partnership with states, municipalities, the Federal District, the productive sector or NGOs, responsible for maintenance and management. Law No. 11,195/2005 replaced 'can only take place' with 'will take place, preferably'.

    • Lei nº 8.948, de 8 de dezembro de 1994 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: art. 3, § 5 (wording added by Law 9,649/1998). Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “§ 5 o A expansão da oferta de educação profissional, mediante a criação de novas unidades de ensino por parte da União, somente poderá ocorrer em parceria com Estados, Municípios, Distrito Federal, setor produtivo ou organizações não-governamentais, que serão responsáveis pela manutenção e gestão dos novos estabelecimentos de ensino. (Incluído pela Lei nº 9.649, de 1998)”
    • Lei nº 8.948, de 8 de dezembro de 1994 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: art. 3, § 5 (wording given by Law 11,195/2005). Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “§ 5 o A expansão da oferta de educação profissional, mediante a criação de novas unidades de ensino por parte da União, ocorrerá, preferencialmente, em parceria com Estados, Municípios, Distrito Federal, setor produtivo ou organizações não governamentais, que serão responsáveis pela manutenção e gestão dos novos estabelecimentos de ensino. ( Redação dada pela Lei nº 11.195, de 2005)”
  3. 3. Law No. 11,892 of December 29, 2008, signed into law by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, established the Federal Network of Vocational, Scientific and Technological Education and created the Federal Institutes of Education, Science and Technology.

    • Lei nº 11.892, de 29 de dezembro de 2008 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: summary (ementa) and art. 1, caput. Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “Institui a Rede Federal de Educação Profissional, Científica e Tecnológica, cria os Institutos Federais de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia, e dá outras providências. [...] Art. 1o Fica instituída, no âmbito do sistema federal de ensino, a Rede Federal de Educação Profissional, Científica e Tecnológica”
    • Lei nº 11.892, de 29 de dezembro de 2008 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: closing and signatures. Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “Brasília, 29 de dezembro de 2008; 187o da Independência e 120o da República. LUIZ INÁCIO LULA DA SILVA Fernando Haddad Paulo Bernardo Silva”
  4. 4. Law 11,892/2008 defined the Federal Institutes as institutions of higher, basic and vocational education, multi-curricular and multicampus, equated with the federal universities for purposes of the provisions governing the regulation, evaluation and supervision of institutions and higher education courses, with autonomy to create and discontinue courses, within the limits of their territorial area of operation, as well as to register diplomas for the courses they offer, upon authorization of their Superior Council.

    • Lei nº 11.892, de 29 de dezembro de 2008 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: art. 2, caput and § 1. Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “§ 1 o Para efeito da incidência das disposições que regem a regulação, avaliação e supervisão das instituições e dos cursos de educação superior, os Institutos Federais são equiparados às universidades federais.”
    • Lei nº 11.892, de 29 de dezembro de 2008 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: art. 2, § 3. Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “§ 3 o Os Institutos Federais terão autonomia para criar e extinguir cursos, nos limites de sua área de atuação territorial, bem como para registrar diplomas dos cursos por eles oferecidos, mediante autorização do seu Conselho Superior”
    • Lei nº 11.892, de 29 de dezembro de 2008 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: art. 2, caput. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Art. 2 o Os Institutos Federais são instituições de educação superior, básica e profissional, pluricurriculares e multicampi , especializados na oferta de educação profissional e tecnológica nas diferentes modalidades de ensino, com base na conjugação de conhecimentos técnicos e tecnológicos com as suas práticas pedagógicas, nos termos desta Lei.”
  5. 5. The Federal Institutes were created by transforming or integrating existing federal institutions. Examples: the IF of Acre, by the transformation of the Federal Technical School of Acre; the IF of Alagoas, by the integration of the CEFET of Alagoas and the Federal Agrotechnical School of Satuba.

    • Lei nº 11.892, de 29 de dezembro de 2008 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: art. 5, caput, I and II. Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “Ficam criados os seguintes Institutos Federais de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia: I - Instituto Federal do Acre, mediante transformação da Escola Técnica Federal do Acre; II - Instituto Federal de Alagoas, mediante integração do Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Alagoas e da Escola Agrotécnica Federal de Satuba;”
  6. 6. Law No. 8,948 of December 8, 1994, signed into law by Itamar Franco, transformed the Federal Technical Schools (created by Laws 3,552/1959 and 8,670/1983) into Federal Centers of Technological Education (CEFETs), with gradual implementation by a specific decree for each center.

    • Lei nº 8.948, de 8 de dezembro de 1994 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: art. 3, caput and § 1. Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “Art. 3º As atuais Escolas Técnicas Federais, criadas pela Lei nº 3.552, de 16 de fevereiro de 1959 e pela Lei nº 8.670, de 30 de junho de 1983 , ficam transformadas em Centros Federais de Educação Tecnológica”
    • Lei nº 8.948, de 8 de dezembro de 1994 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: art. 3, § 1; closing. Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “§ 1º A implantação dos Centros Federais de Educação Tecnológica de que trata este artigo será efetivada gradativamente, mediante decreto específico para cada centro”
    • Lei nº 8.948, de 8 de dezembro de 1994 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: closing. Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “Brasília, 8 de dezembro de 1994; 173º da Independência e 106º da República. ITAMAR FRANCO”
  7. 7. Decree No. 6,095 of April 24, 2007 established guidelines for integrating federal technological education institutions (CEFETs, ETFs, EAFs and schools linked to universities) by voluntary agreement, to form the IFETs, whose implementation would depend on a specific law.

    • Decreto nº 6.095, de 24 de abril de 2007 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: art. 2. Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “Art. 2 o A implantação de IFETs ocorrerá mediante aprovação de lei específica, após a conclusão, quando couber, do processo de integração de instituições federais de educação profissional e tecnológica, na forma deste Decreto.”
    • Decreto nº 6.095, de 24 de abril de 2007 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: art. 3, caput. Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “processo de integração terá início com a celebração de acordo entre instituições federais de educação profissional e tecnológica, que formalizará a agregação voluntária de Centros Federais de Educação Tecnológica - CEFET, Escolas Técnicas Federais - ETF, Escolas Agrotécnicas Federais - EAF e Escolas Técnicas vinculadas às Universidades Federais, localizados em um mesmo Estado.”
  8. 8. Under Law No. 11,892/2008, the Federal Network is linked to the Ministry of Education; the list of campuses that will make up each of the Federal Institutes created under this Law will be established in an act of the Minister of State for Education; the Superior Council is composed of representatives of the faculty, the students, the administrative and technical staff, the institution's alumni, civil society, the Ministry of Education and the Board of Directors (Colégio de Dirigentes) of the Federal Institute; and the creation of new federal vocational and technological education institutions, as well as the expansion of existing institutions, will take into account the Federal Institute model, also observing the parameters and rules defined by the Ministry of Education.

    • Lei nº 11.892, de 29 de dezembro de 2008 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: art. 1, caput. Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “Art. 1 o Fica instituída, no âmbito do sistema federal de ensino, a Rede Federal de Educação Profissional, Científica e Tecnológica, vinculada ao Ministério da Educação e constituída pelas seguintes instituições:”
    • Lei nº 11.892, de 29 de dezembro de 2008 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: art. 5, § 5. Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “§ 5 o A relação dos campi que integrarão cada um dos Institutos Federais criados nos termos desta Lei será estabelecida em ato do Ministro de Estado da Educação.”
    • Lei nº 11.892, de 29 de dezembro de 2008 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: art. 10, § 3. Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “Conselho Superior, de caráter consultivo e deliberativo, será composto por representantes dos docentes, dos estudantes, dos servidores técnico-administrativos, dos egressos da instituição, da sociedade civil, do Ministério da Educação e do Colégio de Dirigentes do Instituto Federal,”
    • Lei nº 11.892, de 29 de dezembro de 2008 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: art. 15. Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “Art. 15. A criação de novas instituições federais de educação profissional e tecnológica, bem como a expansão das instituições já existentes, levará em conta o modelo de Instituto Federal, observando ainda os parâmetros e as normas definidas pelo Ministério da Educação.”
  9. 9. Under Decree 6,095/2007, integration began with a voluntary agreement between the institutions, approved by the superior bodies of each and supervised by the MEC's Secretariat of Vocational and Technological Education; the creation of the IFs required a law, and Law 11,892/2008 was decreed by the National Congress.

    • Decreto nº 6.095, de 24 de abril de 2007 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: art. 3, §§ 1 and 2. Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “processo de integração será supervisionado pela Secretaria de Educação Profissional e Tecnológica do Ministério da Educação. § 2 o O termo de acordo deverá ser aprovado pelos órgãos superiores de gestão de cada uma das instituições envolvidas.”
    • Lei nº 11.892, de 29 de dezembro de 2008 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: preamble. Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “Faço saber que o Congresso Nacional decreta e eu sanciono a seguinte Lei:”
  10. 10. Law 11,892/2008 (art. 8) provides that the Federal Institute, in each fiscal year, must guarantee a minimum of 50% of its slots to meet the objectives defined in item I of the caput of art. 7 (to provide technical vocational education at the high school level, primarily in the form of integrated courses, for elementary school graduates and for the youth and adult education public) and a minimum of 20% of its slots to meet what is provided in subitem b of item VI of the caput of art. 7 (teacher-training degree courses, as well as special programs of pedagogical training, aimed at training teachers for basic education, especially in the areas of science and mathematics, and for vocational education). Compliance with these percentages must observe the concept of equivalent student, as regulated by the Ministry of Education.

    • Lei nº 11.892, de 29 de dezembro de 2008 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: art. 8, caput. Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “Art. 8 o No desenvolvimento da sua ação acadêmica, o Instituto Federal, em cada exercício, deverá garantir o mínimo de 50% (cinqüenta por cento) de suas vagas para atender aos objetivos definidos no inciso I do caput do art. 7 o desta Lei, e o mínimo de 20% (vinte por cento) de suas vagas para atender ao previsto na alínea b do inciso VI do caput do citado art. 7 o .”
    • Lei nº 11.892, de 29 de dezembro de 2008 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: art. 7, item I. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “I - ministrar educação profissional técnica de nível médio, prioritariamente na forma de cursos integrados, para os concluintes do ensino fundamental e para o público da educação de jovens e adultos;”
    • Lei nº 11.892, de 29 de dezembro de 2008 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: art. 7, item VI, subitem b. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “b) cursos de licenciatura, bem como programas especiais de formação pedagógica, com vistas na formação de professores para a educação básica, sobretudo nas áreas de ciências e matemática, e para a educação profissional;”
    • Lei nº 11.892, de 29 de dezembro de 2008 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: art. 8, § 1. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “§ 1 o O cumprimento dos percentuais referidos no caput deverá observar o conceito de aluno-equivalente, conforme regulamentação a ser expedida pelo Ministério da Educação.”
  11. 11. Under Law 11,892/2008, the teaching unit of an institution transformed or integrated into a Federal Institute automatically takes on the status of a campus of the new institution; positions and assets of the member institutions are transferred to the new Institutes.

    • Lei nº 11.892, de 29 de dezembro de 2008 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: art. 5, § 2. Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “§ 2 o A unidade de ensino que compõe a estrutura organizacional de instituição transformada ou integrada em Instituto Federal passa de forma automática, independentemente de qualquer formalidade, à condição de campus da nova instituição.”
    • Lei nº 11.892, de 29 de dezembro de 2008 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: art. 17, item I. Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “I - pelos bens e direitos que compõem o patrimônio de cada uma das instituições que o integram, os quais ficam automaticamente transferidos, sem reservas ou condições, ao novo ente;”
  12. 12. Among the objectives of the Federal Institutes in Law 11,892/2008 are to provide technical vocational education at the high school level, primarily in integrated courses, for elementary school graduates and for the youth and adult education public; to provide initial and continuing training courses for workers; and to provide, at the higher education level, technology degree courses and teacher-training (licenciatura) courses for basic education teachers.

    • Lei nº 11.892, de 29 de dezembro de 2008 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: art. 7, item I. Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “I - ministrar educação profissional técnica de nível médio, prioritariamente na forma de cursos integrados, para os concluintes do ensino fundamental e para o público da educação de jovens e adultos;”
    • Lei nº 11.892, de 29 de dezembro de 2008 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: art. 7, item II. Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “II - ministrar cursos de formação inicial e continuada de trabalhadores, objetivando a capacitação, o aperfeiçoamento, a especialização e a atualização de profissionais, em todos os níveis de escolaridade”
    • Lei nº 11.892, de 29 de dezembro de 2008 · Presidency of the Republic (Planalto) Official legal act
      Where: art. 7, item VI, subitems a and b. Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “a) cursos superiores de tecnologia visando à formação de profissionais para os diferentes setores da economia; b) cursos de licenciatura, bem como programas especiais de formação pedagógica, com vistas na formação de professores para a educação básica”
  13. 13. In SIOP, nominal values: in 2007, action 1H10 (Expansion of the Federal Network of Vocational and Technological Education) had an authorized appropriation (law plus credits) of R$27,338,000, a commitment of R$22,896,339, a liquidation of R$22,896,339 and a payment in the fiscal year of R$6,785,735; in 2010, action 1H10 had an authorized appropriation (law plus credits) of R$458,908,773, a commitment of R$430,519,938, a liquidation of R$430,519,938 and a payment in the fiscal year of R$219,044,656. The action refers to the entire Federal Network of Vocational and Technological Education.

  14. 14. In SIOP, nominal values: in 2010, action 8650 (Restructuring of the Federal Network of Vocational and Technological Education) had an authorized appropriation (law plus credits) of R$359,752,824, a commitment of R$351,179,534, a liquidation of R$351,179,534 and a payment in the fiscal year of R$139,816,006. The action refers to the entire Federal Network of Vocational and Technological Education.

  15. 15. In SIOP, nominal values: in 2024, action 15R4 (Support for the Expansion, Consolidation and Restructuring of the Institutions of the Federal Network of Vocational, Scientific and Technological Education) had an authorized appropriation (law plus credits) of R$408,251,882, a commitment of R$407,298,443, a liquidation of R$121,711,666 and a payment in the fiscal year of R$110,493,687; in 2025, action 15R4 had an authorized appropriation (law plus credits) of R$815,504,550, a commitment of R$813,267,159, a liquidation of R$430,198,908 and a payment in the fiscal year of R$415,983,647. The action finances the expansion, consolidation and restructuring of the institutions of the entire Federal Network of Vocational, Scientific and Technological Education.

  16. 16. According to the Federal Network Portal (MEC), from 1909 to 2002, 140 technical schools were built in the country; between 2003 and 2016, the MEC completed the construction of more than 500 new units of the expansion plan, totaling 644 campuses in operation, with 38 Federal Institutes present in all states.

    • Expansão da Rede Federal · Ministry of Education, Portal of the Federal Network of Professional, Scientific, and Technological Education Government communication
      Where: page body (Published: March 2, 2016; last updated: September 21, 2018). Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “De 1909 a 2002, foram construídas 140 escolas técnicas no país. Entre 2003 e 2016, o Ministério da Educação concretizou a construção de mais de 500 novas unidades referentes ao plano de expansão da educação profissional, totalizando 644 campi em funcionamento.”
    • Expansão da Rede Federal · Ministry of Education, Portal of the Federal Network of Professional, Scientific, and Technological Education Government communication
      Where: page body, next paragraph. Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “São 38 Institutos Federais presentes em todos estados”
    • Expansão da Rede Federal (Portal da Rede Federal, MEC), cópia arquivada pelo Internet Archive em 02/01/2019 · Ministry of Education (Federal Network Portal) Government communication
      Read from an archived copy (Internet Archive (Wayback Machine), captured January 2, 2019); original address: redefederal.mec.gov.br. The archive preserves the copy; the author is Ministry of Education (Federal Network Portal).
      Where: page header (dates). Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Publicado: Quarta, 02 de Março de 2016, 11h41 | Última atualização em Sexta, 21 de Setembro de 2018, 16h38”
    • Expansão da Rede Federal (Portal da Rede Federal, MEC), cópia arquivada pelo Internet Archive em 02/01/2019 · Ministry of Education (Federal Network Portal) Government communication
      Read from an archived copy (Internet Archive (Wayback Machine), captured January 2, 2019); original address: redefederal.mec.gov.br. The archive preserves the copy; the author is Ministry of Education (Federal Network Portal).
      Where: page body, paragraph 1. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “De 1909 a 2002, foram construídas 140 escolas técnicas no país. Entre 2003 e 2016, o Ministério da Educação concretizou a construção de mais de 500 novas unidades referentes ao plano de expansão da educação profissional, totalizando 644 campi em funcionamento.”
    • Expansão da Rede Federal (Portal da Rede Federal, MEC), cópia arquivada pelo Internet Archive em 02/01/2019 · Ministry of Education (Federal Network Portal) Government communication
      Read from an archived copy (Internet Archive (Wayback Machine), captured January 2, 2019); original address: redefederal.mec.gov.br. The archive preserves the copy; the author is Ministry of Education (Federal Network Portal).
      Where: page body, paragraph 2. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “São 38 Institutos Federais presentes em todos estados”
  17. 17. The MEC reports, on its page on the Federal Network (with no reference date), that the Federal Network is made up of 755 units linked to 39 Federal Institutes, two Cefets, the UTFPR, 22 technical schools tied to the federal universities, and the Colégio Pedro II.

    • Rede Federal de Educação Profissional, Científica e Tecnológica · Ministry of Education Government communication
      Where: section Presentation. Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “A Rede Federal é formada por 755 unidades vinculadas a 39 Institutos Federais, dois Centros Federais de Educação Tecnológica (Cefets), pela Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (UTFPR), por 22 escolas técnicas ligadas às universidades federais e pelo Colégio Pedro II.”
  18. 18. According to the study by Bergmann, Ribeiro, Niquito and Teixeira (Análise Econômica, vol. 38, no. 77, 2020), which uses the difference-in-differences method, there is positive evidence of impact and synergies from the expansion of the federal institutes and universities on the employment rate and the formalization of jobs; the effects, when significant, appear in general to be stronger in smaller municipalities and among younger individuals. The authors caution that this is a first attempt to assess these impacts, made with a non-experimental technique, and recommend further evaluations with other techniques and data.

  19. 19. In Ruling 506/2013-Plenary (operational audit of the Federal Network of Vocational Education), the TCU found high dropout rates in some of the Federal Institutes' courses: in the Proeja courses and the Subsequent Secondary courses (Médios Subsequentes) dropout reached 24% and 19% of those enrolled; in higher education courses, dropout was lower, but the percentage of graduates fell short of other institutions (10.7% in technology degree programs, compared with 25.5%, 19.5% and 21.1% in university centers, colleges and universities; in bachelor's and teacher-training (licenciatura) degrees, the percentages of graduates did not even exceed the 4% mark).

  20. 20. According to the report underlying TCU Ruling 506/2013-Plenary, the main factor putting at risk the quality of the Federal Institutes' educational services was the shortage of teachers and laboratory technicians: MEC spreadsheets, with data from April 2012, indicated a shortage of 7,966 teachers (19.7% of the total positions). In the rapporteur's vote, considering only the units installed in the second phase of expansion (2011 to 2012), dissatisfaction with the physical facilities rose to 75% of the teachers.

Found an error? Report a correction.