Brazil – Education, Literacy, Curriculum – Britannica

Education in Brazil

Primary and Secondary Education

1. School is free and compulsory for students at the primary (ages 7–14) and secondary (ages 15–17) levels.
2. Roughly three-fifths of Brazilians have only four years of schooling or less.
3. Approximately nine-tenths of children aged 7–14 are enrolled in school.
4. The primary schools in the Northeast, North, and Central-West are smaller and more dispersed.
5. Teachers in these regions are less qualified compared to those in the South and Southeast.
6. Northern and western schools are financed out of meagre municipal budgets, while southern schools are predominantly state-supported.
7. Several states, notably Minas Gerais and São Paulo, have increased educational spending in the mid-1990s.
8. An increasing number of primary students in Brazil have been continuing on to the secondary level.

Higher Education

1. University attendance in Brazil is limited compared to most developed countries.
2. Traditionally, higher education had been largely the prerogative of the wealthy and ambitious members of the middle class.
3. Private institutions have grown in importance as demand for places increased.
4. About three-fourths of undergraduates in Brazil attend private higher educational institutions.
5. Many institutions offer weekend and extension courses to accommodate the needs of the working class.
6. The number of students enrolled in distance learning has also increased significantly.
7. Most institutions of higher education are located in the south and southeast.
8. The University of São Paulo is the largest and most important state university.
9. The largest private university is Paulista University, located in São Paulo.

Welfare and Health

1. The social gap between Brazil’s privileged upper class and the masses at the bottom of the earnings scale is vast.
2. Nearly two-thirds of the working population earns two minimum salaries or less.
3. Health problems in Brazil stem from widespread undernourishment and endemic diseases.
4. Most endemic tropical diseases have been eradicated in major cities, but migrants from infected areas have reintroduced some maladies.
5. Poor sanitary and housing conditions exacerbate health risks, particularly among shantytown dwellers.
6. Government programs and privately supported clinics have been established to improve health conditions.
7. The majority of workers in Brazil are covered by various benefits, including health and unemployment insurance.
8. Brazil spends a greater percentage of its gross national product on social services than on its military budget.
9. There are widespread complaints about the administration of the public health system.
10. Roughly four-fifths of the hospitals in Brazil are public institutions.
11. The ratio of doctors to population is lowest in the North and Northeast and highest in the Southeast.
12. The quality and promptness of healthcare services provided varies greatly.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators in the Article

SDGs Addressed or Connected to the Issues Highlighted in the Article

1. SDG 4: Quality Education
2. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
3. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

Specific Targets Based on the Article’s Content

• SDG 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education.
• SDG 4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational, and tertiary education, including university.
• SDG 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.
• SDG 3.2: By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births.

Indicators Mentioned or Implied in the Article

• Number of children aged 7-14 enrolled in school
• Number of students aged 15-17 attending school
• Number of secondary school graduations
• Proportion of students enrolled in private higher educational institutions
• Number of universities in each state
• Prevalence of diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, dengue, amoebic dysentery, tuberculosis, and Chagas disease
• Access to prenatal and infant health care
• Ratio of doctors to population

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: britannica.com