Brazil has reduced inequality, but 2.5 million are still out of school

The figures were collected by Todos pela Educação (TPE), a movement

Published on 05/04/2017 - 11:42 By Mariana Tokarnia reports from Agência Brasil - Brasília

Brasília - O Torneio Nacional de Robótica First Lego League, que inicia hoje (17) e termina no domingo (19),reúne alunos de 9 a 16 anos, de escolas públicas e particulares (Antonio Cruz/Agência Brasil)

The findings were based on data from the National Household Sample Survey (PNAD)Antonio Cruz/ Agência Brasil

Over the past ten years, Brazil has seen an increase in schooling among vulnerable populations, according to a movement called Todos pela Educação (“All for Education”) (TPE). From 2005 to 2015, the number of children aged 4 to 17 going to school increased mainly among black and mixed-race, low-income, and rural populations. Advances among these groups were bigger than among white, rich, and urban populations.

Todos pela Educação is a non-profit organization with members from several sectors of Brazilian society, whose main purpose is to ensure all citizens have access to quality basic education by 2022, the year of the bicentennial of Brazil's independence.

The findings were based on data from the National Household Sample Survey (PNAD). In 2005, 86.8% of the poorest Brazilian children were in school, compared to 97% of the richest. By 2015, these rates had changed to 93.4% and 98.3% respectively.

Among rural populations, access to education increased from 83.8% to 92.5%, whereas urban populations getting basic education rose from 90.9% to 94.6%. The improvement among black and mixed-race groups—to 92.3% from 87.8% and to 93.6% from 88.1% respectively—was more significant than among whites—where the rate of school-aged children actually going to school rose from 91.2 % to 95.3%.

For Todos pela Educação, inequality has seen a “significant but insufficient” decrease—despite the overall improvement, the largest ratios of children not attending school are still found among the most vulnerable populations. “They are the people who need education the most to overcome social exclusion and poverty. Many of these children have disabilities and live in remote locations. Many come from families in which entire generations have never stepped into a school,” says TPE's CEO Priscila Cruz.

Brazilian laws requires all children aged from 4 to 17 to be enrolled at a school. The 59th Amendment to the Constitution introduced in 2009 required Brazil to ensure that by 2016.


Translated by Mayra Borges


Fonte: Brazil has reduced inequality, but 2.5 million are still out of school

Edition: Graça Adjuto / José Romildo

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