Who Owns Gurilandia?

Gurilandia was founded in 1960 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, by educator Vera Maria Pinho Teixeira. Teixeira established the school with a focus on early childhood education, applying her teaching experience to create an environment that prioritized play-based learning and holistic child development. At the time, premium private early education in northeastern Brazil was limited, and Gurilandia filled a gap for families seeking alternatives to public schooling.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the school built a reputation for academic quality in Salvador. Gurilandia became a recognized name among affluent families in Bahia's capital, particularly in the Federação neighborhood where the original campus is located. The school's emphasis on small class sizes and individualized attention distinguished it from larger institutions.

In 2011, Gurilandia introduced bilingual instruction in Portuguese and English. This decision responded to growing demand from Brazilian families seeking international education standards for their children. English proficiency had become increasingly important for university admissions and professional success in Brazil's globalizing economy, and Gurilandia was among the first schools in Bahia to integrate bilingual education at the early childhood level.

A major milestone came in 2014 when Gurilandia achieved International Baccalaureate World School certification. It became the first school in northeastern Brazil authorized to offer the IB Primary Years Programme. IB authorization requires a rigorous multi-year evaluation process, including curriculum review, teacher training, and infrastructure assessment. This certification placed Gurilandia among a small group of Brazilian schools recognized by the International Baccalaureate Organization.

In 2019, Gurilandia established Land School to provide continuing education for students completing Grade 5. The partnership created a pathway from early childhood through secondary school, allowing Gurilandia students to transition to an institution sharing similar educational principles. Together, Gurilandia and Land School offer the only IB Continuum pathway in Bahia, covering ages 3 to 18.

The school expanded its physical footprint in 2021 with the opening of a second campus in the Pituba neighborhood of Salvador. The Pituba campus extended Gurilandia's reach to families in another of Salvador's affluent districts and increased total enrollment capacity.

In 2020, Gurilandia joined Escola Eleva Global Schools, a Brazilian premium school network. Two years later, in May 2022, Inspired Education Group acquired Escola Eleva, bringing Gurilandia into a global organization of over 110 premium schools. The acquisition provided Gurilandia with access to Inspired's international curriculum resources, teacher training programs, and global student exchange opportunities while preserving its Brazilian character and local educational approach.

Today, Gurilandia serves students aged 1 to 11 across its two Salvador campuses. The school continues to offer the IB Primary Years Programme alongside its bilingual curriculum and maintains its position as a leading premium early education institution in northeastern Brazil.