Brazil's public schools get a failing grade!

Last activity 31 December 2014 by soie5

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JamesViP18 July 2014 14:40:12

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Well, it's certainly not a surprise to anyone who has been in Brazil for a while, but recently released figures from the last national census are dismal for the public school system in Brazil.

The census data shows that just half of Brazil's public schools have internet access, while their private counterparts do considerably better at 90%. Most shocking is that only 36% (just marginally over 1 out of every 3) of public schools in this country are connected to sewer systems. (This probably indicates that they are not connected to municipal water systems as well, since the two go hand-in-hand). 83% of Brazilian private schools are connected to sewer systems, so 17% are not! Shocking since fees at private schools here are astronomically high. Only 29% of public schools have libraries, while at least 59% of the private schools do.

As if it isn't bad enough that students in Brazil's public school system have only 4 hours of classroom time each day, they for the most part must endure almost subhuman conditions while there. In some parts of Brazil classes are held under trees or in delapitated old buildings with leaking roofs.

Students in Cacéres, Mato Grosso have classes under a tree because the Secretário da Educação Estadual has not paid rent for many months.

Major Brazilian cities, obviously do have a slightly better record, but not as much as one might imagine when you consider that the same census revealed that fully 1 out of every 6 households in São Paulo, Brazil's largest and wealthiest city do not have a bathroom indoors.

Really makes one wonder WHY homeschooling is still illegal in this country, doesn't it? Anything has to be better than this.

Cheers,
William James Woodward, EB Experts Team

soie5Contributor21 July 2014 01:37:14

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I am trying to find out if there are any decent public schools in florianopolis but I have list all hope after reading this. Its a sad situation. Yes the private schools are very expensive . And to be honest they are not anything to write home about. They charge a lot , a lot of extra curricular activities but not enough stress on actual knowledge / studies. Hope something is done about this.

JamesViP21 July 2014 08:39:20

11272

Sadly soie, I don't think the government here ever will do anything about it. Despite the fact that everybody know without massive investments in education Brazil will never truly enter the "First World" as people call it, they won't educate people because they would no longer have control over them, nor would they be able to continue buying their votes with weak promises and social programs that are just giveaways and cost far less than education.

Cheers,
William James Woodward, EB Experts Team

HaileyinHongKongViP21 July 2014 14:12:34

4723

We used to love it when we had a class outdoors. Somehow I think it was different, though.

soie5Contributor21 July 2014 15:02:12

136

You are right. But if the private sector steps in it might help. In my homeland we have the same problem. But now we have different levels of private schools ranging from very reasonable to very elite. So even someone with a low salary can send the kids to school. They choose not to though opting for child labour instead. But thats another topic .
So private schools with lower fees could be the answer ? Just my two cents as I still have a lot to learn about how the system works.

JamesViP21 July 2014 17:07:06

11272

I agree with you 100%, competition in the private sector always lowers prices and could certainly go a long way to improving education in this country.

I think that the main problem preventing that from happening is the bureaucracy. For example a foreign national can be a partner in a school here in Brazil, but not the majority partner; and foreigners are prohibited from being the sole owner of a school. Schools here must be registered in the name of a Brazilian natural.

In fact, I have known several foreigners here who have lived in Brazil for decades, have Brazilian wives and children who have had to open schools registered in the name of their Brazilian children or spouses because of this. Really doesn't make a whole Hell of a lot of sense when the educational systems abroad are so superior.

Cheers,
William James Woodward, EB Experts Team

soie5Contributor31 December 2014 08:22:37

136

Thats the same situation for any business one wants to start in Brazil.came do anything wwithout a Brazilian partner. Its not possible for me to open an account in banco do Brazil but they might consider opening one for my 1 yr old Brazilian child

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