出版社：Faculdade de Administra??o, Contabilidade e Economia, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul
摘要：This paper analyses the evolution of education in Brazil
from 1970 to 2003 with emphasis on the qualitative aspects of
education at the elementary, high and undergraduate school levels.
The analysis identifies significant problems with repetition, school
evasion and people attending classes inappropriate for their age: 42% of the youths between 18 and 24 years old were in classes
appropriate for younger students. Another problem identified was
lack of reading comprehension, where students do not understand
what they read. Standardized tests used to evaluate students
learning Portuguese and Mathematics at elementary school
received grades below minimum expected levels. Given these test
scores, the conclusion is that the students are not prepared for the
labour market. Contributing to these substandard academic results
are the facts that many schools do not have libraries, computer or
science laboratories, and that the teachers are underpaid. Based
on the analysis, students that complete high school only had actual
competences equivalent to the elementary level, which in turn
affects the quality of learning at the undergraduate level. An
evaluation made by the “Exame Nacional de Cursos” in 2003
showed that public universities have a higher percentage of “A”
grades, while “C”, “D” and “E” grades are predominant in private
universities. It is a necessity of the education system to adequately
deliver the basic level of knowledge required for the labour market,
with emphasis on education in languages and computer sciences.
This can be achieved by allocating scholarships to poorer students
while supporting interaction between productive sectors of the
economy and educational institutions to make sure labour market
needs are understood and met.
关键词：Education in Brazil. Elementary teaching. Education
and economic development.
