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The Brazilian Education System

Although education has been a talking point for most political parties in the past, few
have been able to accomplish much when in office. The country of Brazil now finds itself at a
point where action must be taken to improve access to education, quality of education, and
literacy rates. Brazil can no longer look at education as a problem for tomorrow. It is here, it is
now, it is critical.

Access to Education
Access to education in Brazil is different than it is in America. Due to the insufficiencies
in the schools, illiteracy rates and unemployment rates are rising. Although nearly all children in
Brazil have access to primary and secondary education, the dropout rate in Brazil continues to
increase. In fact, only about a third of school children ever make it to Grade Six. (Brazil
Education, n.d.) Although school for children ages seven to fourteen is required, this is not
always enforced because these children do not always live near schools or they might have to
work to make money for their family.
The school system there is only broken into two levels. Primary school is for kids from
age six to age fourteen. High school is for those students from fifteen to seventeen years old.
Many public schools in Brazil are not up to par in terms of plumbing, air conditioning, and actual
stability itself. The Brazilian government is trying to do something about this. The country is
paying off debts so that they can reallocate funds towards these schools in an attempt to improve
their education system.

Brazilian Public School

This picture depicts students in class at a public school damaged by heavy rainstorms.
The higher education system in Brazil is also somewhat different than that of the United
States. They have publically funded universities that actually offer better education than the
privately funded universities. One reason for this would be that because public universities are
non-profit, they have a greater interest in investing in professors and courses of study. Obtaining
a Bachelors degree exceeds a European degree in that it takes four to six years to obtain this in
Brazil. It is more comparable to a European Masters degree.

Quality of Education
The quality of education in Brazil is not merely a product of an inadequate number of
teachers. The remoteness and ruggedness of the terrain in parts of the country impact the ability
to provide a quality education. The lack of properly trained staff also impacts this ability. The
quality of an educational system encompasses everything from the most basic construction of the
facility to the staff and the level of technology. Brazil has set a goal over the next ten years to
invest in technology and facility. Additionally, Brazil is creating a program of continued training
for teachers and other educational professionals with a goal of fifty percent having graduate
degrees at the end of that period.

Literacy Rates
Brazil is the seventh largest economy in the world. UNESCO, or United Nations
Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, research shows Brazil has the eighth highest
level of adult illiteracy in the world. (D. Gray, 2015) In spite of that statistic, literacy in females
age fifteen to twenty four was at its highest level in 2012, which was the highest it has been in
the past thirty two years. Males in the same age bracket showed similar high literacy rates for
that year. Since Brazil has established a goal through their national education plan (PNE) to wipe
out illiteracy in those age fifteen and above by 2020, it would appear they have made a good
start.

Female Literacy Rates

This graph shows the trend of literacy rates in females age fifteen to twenty four. The bottom
numbers represent the year and the side numbers represent percentages.
Brazil has made great strides in defining the problems with their educational system.
Over the past several decades, inroads have been made in some areas that have had a beneficial
impact on the quality of education. Brazil recognizes that a more concerted effort and program
must be in place to ensure progress is measurable and ongoing. They have, through the PNE,
established a ten year program to attack the problems at nearly every level. It would appear that
Brazil is ready to finally take action rather than talk action.

Sources
BRAZIL. (n.d.). Retrieved July 31, 2015 from http://www.brazil.org.za/brazil-education.html.
Brazil - Literacy rate. (n.d.). Retrieved July 31, 2015 from
http://www.indexmundi.com/facts/brazil/literacy-rate.
Krisztina Szabo Brazil public health project. (n.d.). Retrieved July 31, 2015 from
http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2004/09/10_szabo.shtml.
Education becomes a priority for Brazil. (n.d.). Retrieved July 31, 2015 from http://www.thereport.net/brazil/education-may2015/1356-education-becomes-a-priority-for-brazil.
Q&A Dr Herman Jacobus Cornelis Voorwald - Secretary of Education for the State of Sao Paulo.
(n.d.). Retrieved July 31, 2015 from http://www.the-report.net/brazil/education-may2015/1360interview-dr-herman-jacobus-cornelis-voorwald-secretary-of-education-for-the-state-of-saopaulo.

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