The Minas Gerais government has announced a public-private partnership (PPP) aimed at improving state schools, with emphasis on rewarding performance rather than enforcing educational accountability. The initiative allows for a significant bonus to be given to the winning concessionaire based on student achievements, even though the companies will not be responsible for educational aspects like curriculum and teaching staff. This approach has been previously adopted in São Paulo, showing a trend towards privatization of educational services while the government remains in charge of pedagogical matters.

Under this plan, 95 schools across 34 municipalities will see administrative concessions for services that do not include teaching itself. The state government, led by Governor Romeu Zema, is focusing on the renovation, maintenance, and operational aspects of these institutions. This hands-off approach for educational content raises questions about the effectiveness of such partnerships, especially since companies will essentially profit from academic improvements without having direct responsibility for educational outcomes.

As part of this initiative, the 'Bônus por Desempenho Excepcional' will provide additional funding to private entities if the schools under the PPP achieve high educational results. The mechanisms driving this bonus system are based on the Iade (Educational Development Support Index), which evaluates the schools' performance. While the intent is to incentivize improved student learning, the lack of accountability for educational quality could undermine the very objectives the government seeks to achieve through this partnership, raising concerns among educators and policy analysts alike.