education
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is overall in charge of the education system. They provide each state with funds and educational guidelines, but it is up to the individual states to enforce these guidelines. Primary school is compulsory for all children 7-14 years, but it is seldom enforced in rural states, leading to a high number of children in child labour.
In Brazil, elementary school is compulsory. It is divided into 2 levels - Ensino Fundamental I & Ensino Fundamental II. In Ensino Fundamental I, children study mathematics, Portuguese, science, arts, history, geography and physical education. In Ensino Fundamental II, children study an additional language.
In Brazil, elementary school is compulsory. It is divided into 2 levels - Ensino Fundamental I & Ensino Fundamental II. In Ensino Fundamental I, children study mathematics, Portuguese, science, arts, history, geography and physical education. In Ensino Fundamental II, children study an additional language.
There are also private and public schools. Private schools have a better quality of education, but are more expensive, while public schools are not as well maintained, but free. Poorer children usually go to public schools which do not have such good amenities, such as lack of plumbing and heating and neglected structures.
One similarity between both public and private schools is that they mix all academic levels into the same class. At the end of the year, the children are then given an examination if they can move onto the next year, or will have to be held back. Repeating a year is not unusual, therefore the age group in a class can vary. If the child cannot keep up with the education system, the school will speak to the children’s parents. Unlike the majority of other schools, some private schools divide a year into levels of academic ability for classes. However, this is becoming less common as teaching models are becoming more tightly controlled.
Lately, the number of children making to high school is dropping - only one third of students get to Grade 6. Foreign debt that has been taking up a lot of the government's finances are being paid off, so more money can be allocated to improve the education systems.
After completing elementary school, students move on to high school, which is known as Ensino Médio in Brazil. They take up 2 additional subjects; philosophy and sociology. The courses can be taken at the private school the student has been studying yet, or go to a specific college which trains the students to take a specific examination at a specific university.
One similarity between both public and private schools is that they mix all academic levels into the same class. At the end of the year, the children are then given an examination if they can move onto the next year, or will have to be held back. Repeating a year is not unusual, therefore the age group in a class can vary. If the child cannot keep up with the education system, the school will speak to the children’s parents. Unlike the majority of other schools, some private schools divide a year into levels of academic ability for classes. However, this is becoming less common as teaching models are becoming more tightly controlled.
Lately, the number of children making to high school is dropping - only one third of students get to Grade 6. Foreign debt that has been taking up a lot of the government's finances are being paid off, so more money can be allocated to improve the education systems.
After completing elementary school, students move on to high school, which is known as Ensino Médio in Brazil. They take up 2 additional subjects; philosophy and sociology. The courses can be taken at the private school the student has been studying yet, or go to a specific college which trains the students to take a specific examination at a specific university.
Universities, otherwise known as Ensino Superior has a mixture of both privately and publicly funded institutions. Public universities are fully funded by the government, unlike elementary and high schools, public university degrees are more valued compared to private universities. This is because students must sit an entrance exam called vestibular to enter a public university, then enjoy a superior education, while on the other hand, students can enter a private university without any entrance tests.