Basics of Brazilian Education
In Brazil, there are nine required years of everyone from the ages of 6-14. First is Primary School of the first five grades and then Middle School for the next four years, and if a student chooses to continue they can go through three more years for a total of 12 grades. This means that in rural areas where children will work on the farm later many do not go through those last three years, and as seen before just a few years ago Brazil's average education was 5.3 years while now it's about 7 years,still under the required nine years but increasing great for a national average. In the table below, you can see that in the study Brazil placed 52nd overall out of 65 where as in mathematics is did worse with 56 out of 65.
This low ranking is because of how teachers are poorly trained and the infrastructure includes a shortage of desks, chairs, and supplies.
However, the low ranking also extends to the history, for during the colonial era while in Spanish America universities were brought to the area the Portuguese did no such thing with Brazil. All education was really in was just a little bit in the key economic areas of sugar, gold, and coffee. It wasn't until the imperial science period from 1808-1889 that the first higher education-which was first a military academy in Rio de Janeiro, two medical schools, and two law schools-started to appear.
One of the biggest educational problems in Brazil is school nonattendance. In wealthy states, 95% of children enroll from the start, while only 65-80% enroll in poor states. Approximately 25% drop out by the second year. United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported in mid-1994 that Brazil was in last place in a world ranking that compares the per capita income of each country with the rates of nonattendance or absenteeism in the first five grades. Given Brazil's considerable economic strength, one would expect at least 80% of the children to complete the fifth grade, but according to the UNICEF report only 39% of the children do so. In the poorer areas children start working at 10 to help their parents, and so drop out early. Other reasons for such nonattendance include inadequate school facilities, high examination failure rate, and malnutrition. However, one of the government initiatives at the national level that has improved attendance and nutrition is the school lunch program.
Primary and Secondary Schools
In theory, public education is free at all levels in Brazil and compulsory for ages seven to fourteen, but coverage is incomplete and quality uneven. Private schools meet a large part of the demand of those who can afford to pay. Generally speaking, the private schools are for the upper and middle classes, while the public schools at these levels are attended by those in the lower socioeconomic strata. During the 1990s, rising costs and economic pressures made it necessary for some of the middle class to shift from private to public schools.
During the 1970s and 80s the primary and secondary school systems were reconstructed to consist of nine years of basic education and three years of secondary school. The public schools at these levels are run by cities and states, just as in the US. In 1990 the Collor government adopted a system of integrated education centers including day care, school lunches, and health care, called Centros Integrados de Assistencea a Crianca or CIAC which translates to Integrated Centers for Assistance to Children which was later renamed Centros de Atencao Integrada a Crianca-CAIC (translating to Centers for Comprehensive Attention to Children).
Higher Education Boom
In recent years, the amount of universities and private institutions has increased, while government aid has allowed for more students in poorer areas to get better education in hopes for getting better jobs, but everything has a cost, as there aren't so many qualified students and education standards are lowered. This therefore shows an opportunity cost because the Brazilian government is trading higher quality education for more educated students though with a lower standard of education.
This low ranking is because of how teachers are poorly trained and the infrastructure includes a shortage of desks, chairs, and supplies.
However, the low ranking also extends to the history, for during the colonial era while in Spanish America universities were brought to the area the Portuguese did no such thing with Brazil. All education was really in was just a little bit in the key economic areas of sugar, gold, and coffee. It wasn't until the imperial science period from 1808-1889 that the first higher education-which was first a military academy in Rio de Janeiro, two medical schools, and two law schools-started to appear.
One of the biggest educational problems in Brazil is school nonattendance. In wealthy states, 95% of children enroll from the start, while only 65-80% enroll in poor states. Approximately 25% drop out by the second year. United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported in mid-1994 that Brazil was in last place in a world ranking that compares the per capita income of each country with the rates of nonattendance or absenteeism in the first five grades. Given Brazil's considerable economic strength, one would expect at least 80% of the children to complete the fifth grade, but according to the UNICEF report only 39% of the children do so. In the poorer areas children start working at 10 to help their parents, and so drop out early. Other reasons for such nonattendance include inadequate school facilities, high examination failure rate, and malnutrition. However, one of the government initiatives at the national level that has improved attendance and nutrition is the school lunch program.
Primary and Secondary Schools
In theory, public education is free at all levels in Brazil and compulsory for ages seven to fourteen, but coverage is incomplete and quality uneven. Private schools meet a large part of the demand of those who can afford to pay. Generally speaking, the private schools are for the upper and middle classes, while the public schools at these levels are attended by those in the lower socioeconomic strata. During the 1990s, rising costs and economic pressures made it necessary for some of the middle class to shift from private to public schools.
During the 1970s and 80s the primary and secondary school systems were reconstructed to consist of nine years of basic education and three years of secondary school. The public schools at these levels are run by cities and states, just as in the US. In 1990 the Collor government adopted a system of integrated education centers including day care, school lunches, and health care, called Centros Integrados de Assistencea a Crianca or CIAC which translates to Integrated Centers for Assistance to Children which was later renamed Centros de Atencao Integrada a Crianca-CAIC (translating to Centers for Comprehensive Attention to Children).
Higher Education Boom
In recent years, the amount of universities and private institutions has increased, while government aid has allowed for more students in poorer areas to get better education in hopes for getting better jobs, but everything has a cost, as there aren't so many qualified students and education standards are lowered. This therefore shows an opportunity cost because the Brazilian government is trading higher quality education for more educated students though with a lower standard of education.
What Should Be Done
In order for a better education system President Rousseff has been strengthening the school system, with a focus on giving technical and financial support to schools including those in rural areas. There has also been an effort to get more qualified teachers and to improve the infrastructure, including having better technology such as ipads for students.
Because the education Brazil has isn't that good, the government has paid for about 75,000 scholarships for people to go abroad and study. The private sector also contributed by funding 25,000 scholarships. However, it seems that because there isn't any punishment for not coming back some students are staying abroad. This may actually be because Brazil has been eying a seat at the UN National Security Council permanent seat and needs the US for that as well as for increased influence in the World Bank and IMF.
Yet, rather than fund for higher education, Brazil should focus on getting to the younger generation whose minds are at their most important stage, and that point will help inspire them to do more in school which would hopefully lower the drop out rate and increase the exam scores.
Already the literacy rate is growing beyond 90%, as seen above, though now the growth has been experiencing diminishing marginal returns, which are increases, but increases which aren't as big as the ones before, as if goes up one percent and then goes up just about .4%.
Because the education Brazil has isn't that good, the government has paid for about 75,000 scholarships for people to go abroad and study. The private sector also contributed by funding 25,000 scholarships. However, it seems that because there isn't any punishment for not coming back some students are staying abroad. This may actually be because Brazil has been eying a seat at the UN National Security Council permanent seat and needs the US for that as well as for increased influence in the World Bank and IMF.
Yet, rather than fund for higher education, Brazil should focus on getting to the younger generation whose minds are at their most important stage, and that point will help inspire them to do more in school which would hopefully lower the drop out rate and increase the exam scores.
Already the literacy rate is growing beyond 90%, as seen above, though now the growth has been experiencing diminishing marginal returns, which are increases, but increases which aren't as big as the ones before, as if goes up one percent and then goes up just about .4%.
Brazil VS US
Before it further industrialized and had more people in cities even the US had a similar situation with Brazil in terms of how rural schools didn't go up to 12th grade. Yet because it has a higher GDP per capita the US is able to afford better education, whereas Brazil faces high dropout rates and intense competition for colleges which not all those who are accepted graduate from.