Brazil

Brazil in nutshell

Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east, Brazil has a coastline of over 7,491 kilometers (4,655 mi). It is bordered on the north by Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana and the overseas department of French Guiana; on the northwest by Colombia; on the west by Bolivia and Peru; on the southwest by Argentina and Paraguay and on the south by Uruguay. Numerous archipelagos are part of the Brazilian territory, such as Fernando de Noronha, Rocas Atoll, Saint Peter and Paul Rocks, and Trindade and Martim Vaz.

Brazil was a colony of Portugal from the landing of Pedro Álvares Cabral in 1500 until its independence in 1822. Initially independent as the Brazilian Empire, the country has been a republic since 1889, even though its bicameral legislature (now called Congress) dates back to 1824, when the first constitution was ratified. Its current Constitution defines Brazil as a Federal Republic. The Federation is formed by the union of the Federal District, the 26 States, and the 5,564 Municipalities.

Brazil is the world's tenth largest economy at market exchange rates and the ninth largest in purchasing power. Economic reforms have given the country new international projection. It is a founding member of the United Nations and of the Union of South American Nations. A predominantly Roman Catholic, Portuguese-speaking and multiethnic society, Brazil is also home to a diversity of wildlife, natural environments, and extensive natural resources in a variety of protected habitats.

Brazilian education policy

Education in Brazil is regulated by the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Education, which defines the guiding principles for the organization of educational programs. Local governments are responsible for establishing state and city educational programsfollowing the guidelines and using the funding supplied by the Federal Government. Brazilian children must attend school a minimum of 9 years, however the schooling is usually inadequate.

The 1988 Brazilian Constitution states that "education" is "a right for all, a duty of the State and of the family, and is to be promoted with the collaboration of society, with the objective of fully developing the person, preparing the individual for the exercise of citizenship and qualifying him/her for work".

The National Educational Bases and Guidelines Law enacted in 1961 says that, "national education, inspired in the principles of freedom and in the ideals of human solidarity, has the purpose of:

• understanding individual rights and responsibilities, as well as those of citizens, the State and other community groups;
• respecting man's dignity and fundamental freedoms;
• strengthening national unity and international solidarity;
• integral development of the human personality and his/her participation in the work towards common welfare;
• preparing individuals and society to master scientific and technological resources which will allow the use existing possibilities to common welfare;
• protecting, disseminating and expanding cultural heritage;
• condemning any unequal treatment resulting from philosophical, political or religious belief, as well as any social classes or racial prejudices.

Higher Education

Summary of Higher Education

Brazil has put significant resources into developing its higher education system over the past three decades. As a result, a system has evolved in which some institutions have achieved recognizable excellence in teaching and research, while, more generally, the majority of institutions have struggled to provide relevant, quality education at reasonable cost. Looked at in isolation, certain parts of the system are sound and productive. Taken as a whole, the system still has a number of large challenges to overcome.

About 15% of the age cohort is enrolled in higher education. This is quite low compared to other countries in the region (Argentina 36%; Chile 32%; Uruguay 30%; Venezuela, R.B. 29% [World Development Indicators 2001]) and to the OECD country average of 52% (OECD, 2001). Simply doubling the number of spaces offered, however, will not double the rate of coverage, because a demographic bulge of young Brazilians is reaching university age. Over the past 15 years, growth in private provision of higher education was roughly equal to the moderate growth of the university-age cohort, but now large absolute increases in enrollments would be needed simply to maintain the current rate of coverage. In addition, graduation rates from secondary schools are rising sharply and more older, working Brazilians are seeking tertiary degrees. In short, a larger percentage of a growing number of Brazilians are demanding higher education, and the system cannot keep pace with this demand under existing conditions.

Cost per student in public institutions, roughly R$14,000 per year in the federal system, is on par with OECD country averages while quality is not. Rigidities in funding and regulation create strong disincentives for cost-efficiency or quality. Public universities have been funded on the basis of input. Federal policy toward higher education, until recently, did not attempt to control costs or correlate funding to productivity. Other legislation and regulations, outside the control or influence of MEC, created built-in cost increases that did not improve the access, quality, or relevance of the education. University rectors have traditionally concerned themselves more with obtaining resources from the federal government than with managing the resources effectively within their institutions.

With a few notable exceptions, the quality of instruction and the relevance of the curriculum are below desirable standards. Historically, the Brazilian system - like those of continental Europe - is oriented to provide professional training rather than general or interdisciplinary education. Holders of a first university degree (graduação) are licensed to practice their profession by virtue of their diplomas. Such systems have been successful, productive, and of high quality under a variety of conditions. However, in Brazil, thanks largely to restrictive labor market regulation, the influence of professional associations in setting the curricula and the numbers of courses/places have served to limit the supply of professional labor, rather than to satisfy the demands of the labor market. Furthermore, in the Brazilian public system, a lack of coherence in research, teaching, and career advancement policies in public institutions has often led to a concentration of professors doing specialized research at the expense of undergraduate teaching. By contrast, many private institutions are driven by profit, and therefore do not undertake any research or pay salaries necessary to attract and retain high-quality professors.

The public system, which includes many, but not all of the country's finest institutions, provides higher quality education than the private sector, charges no tuition, and limits the number of places. Competition for admittance is fierce, and wealthy students do best because they can afford elite private high schools and special preparation courses for the entrance exams. Estimates on enrollment by income quintile show that two thirds of students are from the highest income quintile, while only about 5% are from the two lowest. It is a generally recognized problem that students from lower and lower middle class backgrounds have greater difficulty gaining entrance to the free, public system. If these individuals study at all, they are more likely to be in the private system, where they must pay tuition. Some financial assistance is available from the government and the institutions themselves, but it does not sufficiently address the needs of the students in the system, and much less the potential students who are excluded due to inability to pay.

Clearly, many important changes are underway within the system. The challenge is to focus attention on those that will promote the greatest progress in equitable access, quality, relevance, and efficiency. With this in mind, it is recommended the following steps. First, with respect to access: (a) the trend towards diversification through new instruments, such as sequential courses, and new institutional definitions (such as university centers) should continue; (b) the amount of targeted financial assistance for poor students should be increased; and (c) five and ten year enrollment increase targets should be identified, and progress toward improved coverage should be monitored closely. Additionally, the Government of Brazil has several policy options for increasing access to tertiary education that it may consider in the future. These include: i) increasing government and private funding of public institutions; in light of the current economic situation in Brazil, and the government's relatively high spending for higher education, it is unlikely that a large infusion of public funds for higher education is forthcoming. However, the addition of private resources could lead to an increased supply of places to the extent that the additional resources are used to educate and train students rather than to pay for administrative costs or research; ii) reducing costs per student at public institutions could be achieved in any number of ways and is best dealt with at the institutional level; and iii) charging tuition at public universities. This option is being used increasingly around the world as a means to maintain or increase institutional budgets. When combined with well thought out student aid schemes, this could have a positive impact on equity access.

Higher Education structure

Secondary education is mandatory for those wishing to pursue higher education. In addition, students must pass a competitive entrance examination (known as vestibular) for their specific course of study. The number of candidates per available place in the freshman class may be in excess of 30 or 40 to one in the most competitive courses at the top public universities. In some particular courses with small number of vacancies, this number can be as high as 200.

Higher education in Brazil, as in many nations, can be divided into both undergraduate and graduate work. In addition to providing education, Universities promote research and provide stand-alone classes to the community.

Higher education begins with undergraduate or sequential courses, which may offer different specialization choices such as academic or vocational education. Depending on choice, students may improve their educational background with postgraduate courses Stricto Sensu or Lato Sensu. Higher education has three bases: teaching, research and extension, each with their own specific contribution to make to a particular course. Diplomas and certificates are proof of having passed through higher education.

The standard Brazilian undergraduate bachelor's degree (graduação) is awarded in most fields of arts, humanities, social sciences, mathematical sciences, or natural sciences, and normally requires 4 years of post-secondary studies at a certified university. Students interested in teaching careers at secondary schools can take an additional year in lecturing courses (licenciatura). Five-year degrees are awarded in the so-called professional careers such as architecture, engineering, veterinary medicine, and law. The undergraduate degree in medicine requires in turn six years of full-time post-secondary studies. Residência, a two-to-five years internship in a teaching hospital is not required, but it is pursued by many professionals, especially those who wish to specialize in a given area.

Students who hold a four-year bachelor's degree or a five-year professional diploma are qualified for admission into graduate school (pós-graduação). Graduate master's degrees are normally awarded following the completion of a two-year program requiring satisfactory performance in a minimum number of advanced graduate courses (typically between five and eight classes), plus the submission by the degree candidate of a master's thesis (dissertação de mestrado) that is examined by an oral panel of at least three faculty members, including at least one external examiner. Doctoral degrees on the other hand normally require four years of full-time studies during which the degree candidate is required to complete further advanced graduate coursework, pass a doctoral qualifying exam, and submit an extensive doctoral dissertation (tese de doutorado) that must represent an original and relevant contribution to current knowledge in the field of study to which the dissertation topic belongs. The doctoral dissertation is examined in a final public oral exam administered by a panel of at least five faculty members, two of whom must be external examiners. Results from the dissertation are normally expected to be published in peer-reviewed journals, proceedings of international conferences, and/or in the form of books/book chapters.

Problems in Higher education system

The main problems the Brazilian higher education system is facing at present are the following:

1. Access: in spite of the rapid expansion during the last ten years, the system is still small compared with those of other countries in Latin America. Also, most students in higher education come from medium- and high-income groups. The poorest sections of the population can only enter higher education today as a result of the great expansion at secondary level.

2. Finance: the new sections of the population trying to enter higher education lack sufficient financial backing. Places in the free public institutions are very restricted and the cost of private education is very high in terms of the incomes of these new groups aspiring to enter higher education.

3. Quality: the quality of higher education institutions in Brazil is very variable. Alongside institutions with international reputations we find many with low levels of teaching and little encouragement to undertake research.

4. Efficiency: public institutions - usually of better quality than the rest - suffer great problems of inefficiency in the use of public resources, resulting in a relatively small number of students attending them in terms of the amount of funds invested.

5. Curricular structure unrelated to the needs of the labour market: the content of higher education courses in Brazil lacks the flexibility to adapt to the needs of the labour market.

6. Little connection with the productive sector: in general, technological research and development is carried out in universities with little connection with the productive sector.

Expansion and access to Higher Education

Higher education enrolments more than doubled in the last ten years. In spite of this significant growth, the gross rate of enrolments at the higher level in Brazil is very small when compared to international levels, even when compared to some of other comparable countries in Latin America. Nevertheless, there is a reasonable consensus of opinion on the need to settle on the most effective way to provide a more lasting solution to the problems of access and equity in higher education. In the 1980s growth in enrolments did not even keep up with population growth.

Between 1980 and 1994 expansion of higher education was quite restricted: growth of only 20% in enrolments; reduction of 3.5% in the number of higher education institutions and 26% growth in the number of courses. In 1994, total enrolments on undergraduate courses were 1.7 million. The higher education system at that time consisted of 851 institutions. There has been a significant increase in enrolments and completions of higher education courses in Brazil after 1995.

The growth in supply of courses in recent years has being greater in towns in the interior than in state capitals. That an ‘interiorization’ of higher education is occurring because of an appreciable growth in the numbers of courses, so that many towns which previously had no HEI now have one. This has brought great benefits to students who had been excluded on a regional basis. Many who had not been able to move to the state capital to study at the higher level and now have the chance to do so in their hometown.

Socio-economic data concerning students in Brazilian higher education institutions show the marked presence of those coming from social groups with average and high incomes. It can even be stated that the supply of places is basically a response to the demand for higher education that these classes have created. With the ever-growing demand and a far greater number of students able and desiring to enter higher education, private institutions have had ample room to increase their supply.

The growing expansion of secondary education and the increase in the number of students leaving this level of education suggests that there is greater pressure for obtaining chances of education at a higher level coming precisely from the poorer classes in society. The growth in supply of courses in recent years has been greater in the poorest states and in towns in the interior than in the southwest or south and state capitals. Projections concerning access to higher education indicate the growth among students from lower-income families in the total numbers of new entrants to higher education. This is happening due to the increased flow of students coming from public secondary education and the increasing demand for better-qualified personnel with university degrees for jobs which previously did not require them.

One of the main areas for public policy in relation to access is the design of the means of financing studies and maintaining lower-income students in the system. The policies of increasing rates of schooling at higher level with improved quality at this level, especially in public institutions, increasing the number of places on evening courses, the broad re-design of the means of financing studies and maintaining lower-income students in the system, are some of the possible initiatives being put into place. The country has experienced several mechanisms for increasing access to higher education, including student loans programmes, scholarships in private institution in exchange of tax exemption and, quotas. The policy of quotas, which is very controversial, appears in this context as a transitional strategy. It is also important to emphasize that the expansion of evening classes in the public sector is still insufficient to meet the potential demand from students who are finishing their public secondary education during the evening ‘shift’. A great part of this potential demand has been met by the private sector. In Brazil, 68% of private enrolments are for the evening period, in which most courses do not require full-time attendance.

Information society strategy period

Most efforts in technological development and innovation have been concentrated in certain of Brazil’s universities and not in the business world. Research and development is a strength of higher education of Brazil. Today, almost all states have federal universities, and foundations to encourage research. However, these institutions do not have the same kind of autonomy, especially in terms of continuous, regular and guaranteed financing.

On the other side, Brazil’s scientific and technological development in the area of business is still at an initial stage. Brazilian companies have been late in incorporating and developing technology. It is also a consequence of the weakness of business sector's own capacity of research. On top of that, the collaboration between academia and industries is also very insufficient taking into account the needs of Brazilian development. Besides the poor performance of the Brazilian companies in relation to innovation, there is some prejudice that exist among Brazilian scholars in relation to the cooperation with the private sector.

Brazil shows a paradox: on the one hand, there is in the business sphere a low capacity for absorbing human resources into Science, Technology and Innovation (S&T&I); on the other hand, the system of training these resources has shown a large increase in supply especially in terms of postgraduate programmes. In the last two decades, Brazil’s scientific capacity has grown systematically year by year at an increasingly faster rate. The ranking of countries, according to their participation in world scientific production – Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) of the National Science Indicators (NSI) – is evidence of Brazil’s progress in this field. In 1981, Brazil was in 26th place; in 2001, it already occupied a worthy 18th position. On the other side, from 2000 to 2003 a slow growth was observed in technological development and innovation in Brazilian industry.

The fact that national research being concentrated in universities - in particular at the postgraduate level - makes it very dependent on the training of those with master’s and doctoral degrees. In this context, the importance of new strategies to bring the network of universities together with the world of business becomes more important. An important step in this direction was taken by the recently voted and approved Innovation Law. New means of finance – Sector Funds – and identification of priority sectors in industrial policy, as well as the formulation of the post graduate development plan by CAPES, indicates the desire to continue these trends.

It may be said that a move towards innovation and a clearer preparation for future expansion in R & D activities within growing companies is beginning to be developed recently. There are, however, obstacles hindering this development from proceeding more rapidly. These obstacles are mainly due to organizational inflexibility, problems in the marketplace and the absence of systemic synergy. However, what is most noticeable in the two periods studied is that over 30% of companies complain of lack of qualified personnel. This shows that, even where there is clear difficulty in absorbing manpower, there are questions of quality that have to be overcome.