The numbers show growth in vocational and comprehensive education, but age bias remains high
You data released this Thursday, 22nd, by the Ministry of Education (MEC) on Brazilian basic education in 2023 show an increase in vocational and comprehensive education in Brazil, as well as an increase in enrollment in private schools and kindergartens. Education experts consulted by Estadao praise the progress, but warn of the long road ahead, especially in the age bias (students who are behind in school compared to their age).
“This progress in professional and comprehensive education must be celebrated,” said Claudia Costin, president of the Instituto Singularidades and education specialist. “Integral education allows for a more complete and experimental education. You cannot have a contemporary education, with more dialogic classes, with 4 or 5 lessons a day and a bunch of crammed subjects”, she adds.
“Vocational education benefits young people because it puts them in a better position to face the next phase of life, teaching and/or work, and also contributes to the development of the country’s economy,” said Ana Inoue, superintendent of Education and Work of Itaú.
Vocational education was the phase that grew the most in basic education in relation to the number of enrolments. Studies show that technical courses are able to increase the remuneration of professionals and increase the wealth of the country, connecting with market demands.
But experts say it is necessary to look carefully at the quality of education offered in these models, as well as expanding them further. “We are still very far from the reality of developed countries, a reference in the field of education,” says Claudia.
Developed countries, which perform best in international assessments of education, invest heavily in ensuring that students attend vocational education alongside secondary education. In Brazil, only 10% of students study technical studies, compared to 68% in Finland and 49% in Germany.
“Vocational education depends on many factors to always be a quality alternative. We need to ensure adequate infrastructure, qualified teachers and improve the relationship between vocational and formal education,” highlights Ana.
A reform of secondary education was approved in 2017, with the aim of making the curriculum more flexible and attractive for young people and promoting vocational training in this age group. Last year, however, teacher and student organizations pressured the MEC to review the template amid complaints about the implementation of the new format.
The government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) sent a project to redraft the reform to the Legislature in the second half of 2023, but failures in coordination with Congress meant that the vote on the text was postponed until this year.
Meanwhile, 7.6 million students in the final stage of basic education are left in limbo over what their study regime will be in the coming years and how they will prepare for selection processes for universities.
Falling behind in school is another bottleneck
The high rate of age bias caused by bankruptcies – as high as 40% in some states – also worries experts. Studies show that failure can cause more harm than good to students, increasing dropout rates and causing them to lose interest and motivation in studying.
“The ideal is not to fail too much, so as not to lose interest in school, but also to ensure that the majority have enough learning at every stage,” says Claudia. Therefore, she advocates that the MEC makes changes to the method of training teachers, so that they work focused on ensuring learning and not just teaching lessons and respecting the content offering.
Daniel de Bonis, director of the Knowledge, Data and Research sector of the Lemann Foundation, believes that the problem of school dropouts and low learning rates must be solved at the root: in the last years of primary school. “We’re talking about 13, 14 year olds, who are still in grade 6, where 10 to 12 year olds should be. What interests will they have? They feel very out of place,” he says.
“The principle of the engaging school, of the new high school, is beautiful, as is the design of the Pé de Meia program (which offers financial aid to prevent high school students from dropping out of school)but elementary school is still a bit forgotten,” he says. And if the teenager loses interest in studying in elementary school, warns de Bonis, it will be difficult to regain it in high school.
Source: Terra
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