Copyright is owned by the Author of the thesis. Permission is given for a copy to be downloaded by an individual for the purpose of research and private study only. The thesis may not be reproduced elsewhere without the permission of the Author. ACHIEVING GOAL 02 OF THE UNITED NATIONS' MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS: PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS FOR BRAZIL A thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Education at Massey University Marcela Figueiredo Nobre Formiga 2007 ABSTRACT To he lp fi ght inequalities and other factors that negatively affect its education system, the Brazilian government has signed many agreements with international agencies, among which are the Millennium Development Goa ls (MDGs) estab li she d by the United Nations (UN). Through analysis of the world scenario and the g loba l initiatives towards education, this study aims to draw a correlation between the completion of Goal 2 of the MDGs, i.e., achieve universa l primary education, and the problems and prospects fo r Braz il. Indeed, the importance of education to socie ty is unquestionable as it influences many different aspects of li fe , by helping combat poverty, a iding in deve lopment and assisting in hea lth issues, amo ng others. Furthermore, it is crucial not onl y to the personal deve lopment of individua ls, but it a lso provides greater understanding of soc ial rules, which increases understanding of di versity. In a country as big and di verse as Brazil , it is fundamenta l to take into consideration the cultura l, geographic and socio-economic diffe rences in o rder to find so lutions that can be used towards the development of the country. A lthough the Brazil ian governme nt has taken effecti ve measures to ensure tha t all childre n have access to primary education, the same cannot be sa id about its quality, as the numbers in educational exclus ion in the country are staggering, w ith more than 16 million illiterates. The maj or issues re lati ng to education in the country have to do with the poor quality of w hat is being provided to the s tudents, and the present study points to many facto rs that help expla in thi s situation. High repetition and dropout rates mark the country's education system, mak ing it crucial to deve lop strategies and measures that w i II assure that students learn effectively. Nevertheless, Brazi I's decentrali sed education system makes it hard to put in practice national changes and implement policies that could he lp improve the qua lity of education . Draw n widely from ana lysis of figures from the Brazil ian 2005 school census, the findings revea led that there are many issues that still need to be add ressed in order to guarantee that Brazili an students have an equa l and just opportunity to learn . II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would first and foremost like to thank the New Zealand Agency for International Development - NZAID, for giving me the financial support which allowed me to come to New Zealand and study. Without this opportunity, it would not have been possible to come so far and to learn so much. I am particularly indebted to Professor Richard Harker, my supervisor, for all the help and time dedicated to my work and for the many insightful pointers (not to mention some very cool kiwi sayings!). Special thank you also goes to Professor William Tunmer, whose help in shaping this study is sincerely appreciated. My greatest appreciation to all the Brazilian teachers for giving me their time and patience to answer my questions and for helping me really understand the reality of the Brazilian education system. A huge thank you a lso goes to Sue Flynn and Sylvia Hooker from the ISO at Massey for always being there to help me out whenever I needed. Many thanks also to Toni Floyd at the College of Education for all the help since the very beginning. It would be impossible to thank each and every one of my friends in Brazil and in New Zealand, so I will limit myself in saying that without the support of all my close friends - whether beside me or in the other side of the world - this thesis would not have been possible . Words are not enough to express how grateful I am to my multicultural and wonderful Atawhai family - the husband , the daughters and the sons - who quickly went from flatmates to being the best friends anyone could ever wish for. Life in New Zealand would not have been the same without you, and I am ever thankful that you were here to share this experience with me, help me and care for me. I cou ldn ' t possibly write down al I that you mean to me. You made every day extra bright, even when the skies were grey outside. Many special thanks also go to the friends that took me under their roof; to the Brazilian friends in Palmy (from the good side of the force!) for so many laughs and for making me feel a little closer to home; and to the friends down at my 'other' office , for giving me more coffee than anyone cou ld imagine - always accompanied with smi les and chats. A final and sincerely expressed thank you goes to my family in Brazil - my pillar - who understood the importance of my absence and was always supportive and encouraging of my decision to come so far and for so long. Without them, I ' d be nothing. 111 "Quulitv is indispensable lo guarantee the social and political role of education" Tarso Gcnro {author's translation) t\' TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE PAGE . ... . ................ . .. . ........... . . .... . .. ..... .... . . .... ...... ....... . . .. ABSTRACT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 TABLE OF CONTENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . v LIST OF TABLES ........... . ... .. ... ..................... ... . . . . .. . .................... Vil LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................... ...... ...... . IX ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ............................................. x1 CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION AND LITERATURE REVIEW .......... 1 1. 1) The Global Agenda ........ .. .. ............ .. .... .................... ...... . 2 1. 2) The Millennium Development Goals .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . 5 1.3) Quality Education ......................................................... 10 1.4) Education in Brazil ......................................................... 12 1.5) Summary . . . ... . .... . ...... .... .... ...... .. ............................ ....... 16 CHAPTER 2 -METHODOLOGY ............... .. ...... ..... . ........... . ...... . ... 19 2. 1) Research Problem and Questions ........................ . ................. 19 2.2) Identification and Review of Previous Research ...... ........ .. . . ...... 20 2.3) Research Design ........ . . ... .. ...... .. ...... . ........ .... ......... . . ... .... 20 2.4) Data Co ll ection ................................................ . .......... ... 21 2.5) Validity and Reliabi lity Issues .................. .. ......................... 25 2.6) Ethical Considerations ............ ............ ....... ............. .......... 26 2. 7) Research Limitations .... ................ .. .................................. 27 2.8) Summary ... .......... . ......................................... . .... . .. .. .. . .. 28 V CHAPTER 3 - THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS ........ . ... 30 3. 1) The MDGs and Goal 02 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 3.2) The MDGs and the Brazilian Situation ...... . .... . ..... . ......... . .. .. . . 35 3.3) Summary ............ . ............................................... . ........ 39 CHAPTER 4-THE CASE OF BRAZIL .. . ....................................... 41 4. 1) O verv iew ........ . .......................... . .... . ... .. ..... . ............... . . 4 1 4 .2) The Brazilian Education System . ............. . ........................... 43 4 .3) The Brazi li an Real ity ............ . .... . ..................................... 52 4.4) Q uality Educati on . ................ . .... . .... . .. . . . . . ... . ..... . .... . .......... 67 4.5) Ill iteracy in Brazil .. . .................. . . . ..................... . .............. 73 4 .6) Teache r Issues ................................................. . ............. 78 4.7) Educational In it iatives in Brazil ............................. . ............. 86 4. 7.1) SAEB ......... .. ............................ . . . ........ . ...... . .. 87 4. 7.2) ENl::M ................ ........................................... 91 4. 7.3) Funding Programmes ................ . .......... . ............. 93 4. 7.4) Balsa Esco/a .. . ....... . . . ................................. . ..... 95 4.8) S ummary ..... . ..... . .............. . .... . .. . ......... . ........................ 98 CHAPTER 5 - RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION .............. 103 REFERENCES ......................... . .................................. .... .......... 113 APPENDICES ........................ .. ....... . ....... . .. . ........ . ..... . ...... . ...... . . 126 Appendix 1 - United Nations Millennium Declaration ... . ..... . .. . ........ 126 Appendix 2 - Universal Declaration of Human Rights ......... . ......... . . 135 Appendix 3 - Maps of Brazil ......... . . . ......... . ..... ........................ 140 V I Table 1.1 Table 1.2 Table 1.3 Table 3.1 Table 3.2 Table 3.3 Table 3.4 Table 4 .1 Table 4 .2 Table 4.3 Table 4.4 Table 4.5 Table 4.6 Table 4 .7 Table 4 .8 Table 4.9 LIST OF TABLES International forums for universal primary education, 1934- 2002 The Millennium Development Goals Years of study of population I O years old and higher, according to domicile situation and gender - Brazil , 2004 Goal 02 of the Millennium Development Goals Net enrolment ratio in primary education, 1991-2004 (Primary-level enro lees per 100 children of enrolment age) Proportion of pupil s starting grade I who reach grade 5 (Percentage of students enrolled in the final grade of primary school) Literacy rate (percentage) Resident population in Brazil , according to colour or race, and domicil e situation and gender - Brazil , 2004 The Brazilian education system Average number of students per class in basic education, according to administrative leve l - Brazil , 2005 Average number of students per class in basic education, according to demographic region - Brazil , 2005 Population numbers and percentage according to sex and unit of the Federation - Brazil , 2000 Schools and enrolments according to demographic location and level of instruction - Brazil , 2005 Evolution of Brazilian enrolments by level of study ( 1999- 2005) Number of enrolments in the education system by declared ethnicity, according to level of study - Brazil, 2005 Number of Brazilian schools with water, electricity and plumbing, according to academic level and demographic region - Brazil , 2005 6 7 15 31 33 33 34 42 44 46 47 50 53 55 62 65 VII Table 4 .10 Number of Brazilian schools with libraries, science 66 laboratories and sports fac ilities, according to academic level and demographic region - Brazil , 2005 Table 4 . 11 Number of Brazilia n schools w ith computers, computer 67 laboratories and internet access, according to academic leve l and demographic reg ion - Brazil , 2005 Table 4. 12 Level of instruction of population 10 years and older by 73 gender - Brazil , 2004 and 2005 Table 4. 13 llliteracy rates by age groups - Brazil , 1996/1998/200 1 74 Table 4 . 14 Illi teracy rates on population 15 years-old or above by 75 geographic uni t - Brazil - 1996/200 1 Table 4. 15 Illiteracy rates on population 15 years-o ld or above by 76 fa mily income according to region - Brazil -200 1 Table 4.16 Average monthly income of di fferent professions - Brazi l 79 and regions, 200 1 Table 4.17 Number of teachers working in Brazil ian schools, by level of 80 administration - 200 I Table 4 .1 8 Average students' score according to teachers' trai ning - 82 SAEB, 200 1 Table 4. 19 Teachers' monthly income - Brazil , 200 1 (in Rea is) 85 Table 4.20 SAEB measurements 89 Table 4.2 1 Percentage of stude nts in SAEB stages of competency 89 construction - Portuguese language - Brazil , 200 1 and 2003 (percentage) Table 4 .22 Percentage of stude nts in SAEB stages of competency 90 construction - Mathematics - Brazil , 200 I and 2003 (percentage) Table 4 .23 Number of parti c ipants in the National Upper-Secondary 9 1 Education Exam - ENEM - Brazil , 1998-2002 Table 4 .24 ENEM scores, by fa mil y income - 2002 92 Table 4 .25 N umber of students partic ipating in the Balsa Esco/a 96 programme according to the level of education - Brazil , 2003 VIII LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1 PISA 2003 results: Percentage of students at each level of 4 proficiency on mathematics - OECD countries Figure 1.2 PISA 2003 results: Percentage of students at each level of 5 proficiency on reading - OEC D countries Figure 3. 1 Completion of primary education by gender - Brazil, 2002 36 (percentages) Figure 3.2 Indicator 6: Net enrolment ratio in primary education - 37 Brazil , 201 5 projection Figure 3.3 Indicator 7: Proportion of students starting grade I who 38 reach grade 5 - Brazil, 2002 (in percentage) Figure 3.4 Indicator 8: Literacy rate of 15 to 24 year-olds - Brazil (in 38 percentage) Figure 4. 1 Net enrolments in primary education by income - Brazil , 48 1999-200 1 Figure 4.2 umber of enro lments in bas ic education by administrative 48 level - Brazil and regions, 2003 Figure 4.3 Percentage of enrolments in basic education in public and 49 private sectors, according to level of study - Brazil , 2005 Figure 4.4 umber of enro lments in basic education accord ing to 51 administrative region - Brazil , 2005 Figure 4.5 Number of enrolments in basic education according to level 51 of study and administrati ve region - Brazil , 2005 Figure 4.6 Percentage of enrolments and schools in basic education by 53 demographic region - Brazil , 2005 Figure 4. 7 Number of enro lments in basic education according to level 54 of study and demographic region - Brazil , 2005 Figure 4.8 Number of Brazilian schools during 1999 and 2005, by 55 academic level and percentage of growth Figure 4.9 Number of enrolments in Brazilian schools during 1999 and 56 2005 , by academic level and percentage of growth IX Figure 4. 10 Percentage of students entering and concluding tertiary education, by family income - Brazil, 2004 Figure 4.11 Percentage of students entering and concluding tertiary education, according to parents' education - Brazil, 2004 Figure 4.12 Number of enrolments in primary and secondary education, according to gender, by demographic situation and region - Brazil, 2005 Figure 4.13 Percentage of students entering and concluding tertiary education. by ethnicity - Brazil, 2005 Figure 4.14 Percentage of school infrastructure coverage by academic level - Brazil. 2005 Figure 4.15 Pass. repetition and evasion rates in primary and secondary education - Brazil, 2004 Figure 4.16 Percentage distribution of teachers by level of study and level taught - Brazil, 200 I Figure 4.17 5 to 17 year-olds participating in the Ro/_1l/ Escolll programme. according to lnels of family income - Brazil. 2003 60 60 61 63 64 77 R I 97 X ANEB ANRESC CIS DDE ECLAC ENC ENEM FAO FNDE FUNDEB FUNDEF GDP lBGE INEP IPEA LOB MDGs NAE NERs NGOs OECD PISA PNAD PNLD PPP SAEB UN UNDP UNESCO ACCRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS National Basic Schooling Eva luation National Academic Achievement Evaluation Commonwealth of Independent States Money Directly to Schools Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean National Course Exam National Upper-Secondary Education Exam Food and Agriculture Organisation National Education Development Fund Fund for Maintenance and Development of Basic Schooling and Appreciation of Education Professionals Fund for Development and Maintenance of Primary Education and Teaching Va lorisation Gross Domestic Product Brazi lian Institute of Geography and Statistics Nationa l Institute for Education Research National Institute of Applied Economic Research National Education Guide lines and Framework Law Millennium Development Goals Centre for Strategic Matters Net Enrolment Rates Non-governmental Organisations Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Programme for International Student Assessment National Household Sample Survey National Textbook Programme Purchasing Power Parties National Basic Education Evaluation System The United Nations United Nations Development Programme United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation XJ