This paper analyses public policy for communication and education with an emphasis on teacher development. Governmental projects in the area of distance education, in particular TV Escola and PROINFO, are analysed throughout the text revealing the distance that exists between governmental plans and the reality of the Brazilian education system. It becomes apparent that the official line, when government policies fail, is that it is the teachers who are to blame. This is a result of the constant undermining of the teaching profession, which has been further accentuated by the introduction of distance education courses for teachers. For the most part, these courses are oversimplified and superficial, focusing mainly on the certification of teachers to satisfy the demands of the LDB (National Education Law). Given this bleak scenario, it is of great importance to strengthen the school and teachers through, among other things, solid training programmes and improvements in working conditions, including the very necessary presence of Information and Communication Technologies. From this analysis of existing policies, there is clear evidence of the distance between MEC (the Ministry of Education) and the public higher education system, in particular education faculties, which could play an important role at this moment.
internet; teacher development; distance education; public policies