Teacher education: is it beating its head on a brick wall?

Brazilian basic education still lacks qualified teachers. The Brazilian Open University System (UAB) is a branch of a public educational policy designed to address that problem. This quantitative/descriptive paper analyses UAB System statistics (2006 to June 2015), specifically regarding vacancies, enrolment and the number of students that graduate. It was revealed that 68.3% of all vacancies were allocated to teacher education courses, and within that sphere 67.5% were degree courses for basic education teachers and 32.4%, complementary courses. The enrolment percentage was around 86%, while the proportion of students graduating was around 61%. Analysis of the figures suggests that the UAB sought to achieve its main goal, as a public policy that induces teacher education for Brazilian basic education teaching staff. However, it is conjectured that problems related to the teaching profession itself discourage students from joining and from finalizing their courses, thereby weakening the potential performance of the UAB System.

Education policy; Teacher education; Brazilian Open University System (UAB

Type of course	A – Courses		B – Classes		C – Places

	N	%	N	%	N	%
Other qualifications	274	32.1	4,202	29.6	192,075	31.6
Degree	85	31.0	1,721	40.9	79,868	41.5
Complementary	189	68.9	2,481	59.0	112,207	58.4
Teacher education	579	67.9	9,969	70.4	415,6	68.4
Degree	328	56.6	6,495	65.1	280,723	67.5
Complementary	251	43.3	3,474	34.8	134,877	32.4
Total	853	100.0	14,171	100.0	607,675	100.0

Type of course	B/A	C/B

	N	N
Other qualifications	15.3	45.7
Degree	20.2	46.4
Complementary	13.1	45.2
Teacher education	17.2	41.6
Degree	19.8	43.2
Complementary	13.8	38.8
Total	16.6	42.8

Region/Type of course	A – Places offered		B – Places cancelled*		B/A

	N	%	N	%	%
North	24,803	5.9	4,625	11.1	18.6
Degree	17,881	72.0	2,175	47.0	12.1
Complementary	6,922	27.9	2,45	52.9	35.3
Northeast	140,18	33.7	12,278	29.4	8.7
Degree	113,613	81.0	6,798	55.3	5.9
Complementary	26,567	18.9	5,48	44.6	20.6
Southeast	146,277	35.2	14,571	34.9	9.9
Degree	81,595	55.7	6,252	42.9	7.6
Complementary	64,682	44.2	8,319	57.0	12.8
South	78,488	18.9	5,9	14.1	7.5
Degree	49,826	63.4	2,7	45.7	5.4
Complementary	28,662	36.5	3,2	54.2	11.1
Central-West	25,852	6.2	4,34	10.4	16.7
Degree	17,808	68.8	2,64	60.8	14.8
Complementary	8,044	31.1	1,7	39.1	21.1
Total	415,6	100.0	41,714	100.0	10.0

Region/Type of course	A – Place offer	B – Enrolment	B/A

	N	N	%
North	20,178	16,192	80.2
Complementary	4,472	2,862	64.0
Degree	15,706	13,33	84.8
Northeast	127,902	107,548	84.0
Complementary	21,087	15,305	72.5
Degree	106,815	92,243	86.3
Southeast	131,706	113,937	86.5
Complementary	56,363	48,547	86.1
Degree	75,343	65,39	86.7
South	72,588	65,665	90.4
Complementary	25,462	23,653	92.9
Degree	47,126	42,012	89.1
Central-West	21,512	18,233	84.7
Complementary	6,344	5,707	89.9
Degree	15,168	12,526	82.5
Total	373,886	321,575	86.0

Region/Couse area	A – Complementary courses		B – Degree courses		% Places occupied

	Places	Enrolled	Places	Enrolled	A	B
North	4,472	2,862	15,706	13,33	64.0	84.8
CA-1	-	-	590	599	-	101.5
CA-3	190	53	6,732	5,318	27.8	79.0
CA-4	3,546	2,521	3,693	3,386	71.0	91.6
CA-5	130	163	3,833	3,127	125.3	81.5
CA-6	606	125	858	900	20.6	104.9
Northeast	21,087	15,305	106,815	92,243	72.5	86.3
CA-1	-	-	1,96	1,918	-	97.8
CA-2	1,17	629	260	159	53.7	61.1
CA-3	3,87	2,834	47,525	39,809	73.2	83.7
CA-4	12,454	8,989	18,715	17,256	72.1	92.2
CA-5	2,33	1,936	36,958	31,737	83.0	85.8
CA-6	1,263	917	1,397	1,364	72.6	97.6
Southeast	56,363	48,547	75,343	65,39	86.1	86.7
CA-2	330	231	350	311	70.0	88.8
CA-3	9,974	6,008	39,677	33,097	60.2	83.4
CA-4	42,743	39,941	21,347	20,089	93.4	94.1
CA-5	2,176	1,711	11,41	9,815	78.6	86.0
CA-6	1,14	656	867	592	57.5	68.2
CA-7	-	-	1,692	1,486	-	87.8
South	25,462	23,653	47,126	42,012	92.9	89.1
CA-2	1,403	1,517	400	400	108.1	100
CA-3	3,005	2,499	8,15	6,661	83.1	81.7
CA-4	19,229	18,576	27,991	25,884	96.6	92.4
CA-5	860	574	10,005	8,514	66.7	85.1
CA-6	965	487	580	553	50.4	95.3
Central-West	6,344	5,707	15,168	12,526	89.9	82.5
CA-3	1,159	980	6,715	5,388	84.5	80.2
CA-4	4,705	4,298	3,545	3,204	91.3	90.3
CA-5	420	403	4,196	3,292	95.9	78.4
CA-6	60	26	712	642	43.3	90.1
Totals	113.728	96.074	260.158	225.501	84.4	86.6

Region/Type of course	A - Enrolled	B - Graduated	B/A

	N	N	%
North	8,123	5,669	69.7
Complementary	1,87	1,599	85.5
Degree	6,253	4,07	65.0
Northeast	43,139	25,862	59.9
Complementary	8,46	6,739	79.6
Degree	34,679	19,123	55.1
Southeast	57,644	35,356	61.3
Complementary	36,071	26,016	72.1
Degree	21,573	9,34	43.2
South	39,888	25,679	64.3
Complementary	17,449	10,893	62.4
Degree	22,439	14,786	65.8
Central-West	8,935	4,787	53.5
Complementary	3,807	2,418	63.5
Degree	5,128	2,369	46.2
Complementary	67,657	47,665	70.5
Degree	90,072	49,668	55.2
Totals	157,729	97,353	61.7

Region/Course areas	A – Complementary courses		B – Degree courses		% Conclusion

	Enrolled	Graduated	Enrolled	Graduated	A	B
North	1,87	1,599	6,253	4,07	85.5	65.0
CA-1	-	-	200	52	-	26.0
CA-3	8	2	2,116	1,468	25.0	69.3
CA-4	1,737	1,48	2,045	1,493	85.2	73
CA-5	-	-	1,287	853	-	66.2
CA-6	125	117	605	204	93.6	33.7
Northeast	8,46	6,739	34,679	19,123	79.6	55.1
CA-1	-	-	653	303	-	46.4
CA-3	1,066	839	16,903	7,699	78.7	45.5
CA-4	5,99	4,777	7,153	5,586	79.7	78.0
CA-5	693	597	9,562	5,26	86.1	55.0
CA-6	711	526	408	275	73.9	67.4
Southeast	36,071	26,016	21,573	9,34	72.1	43.2
CA-2	-	-	155	146	-	94.1
CA-3	4,221	2,349	11,28	3,061	55.6	27.1
CA-4	30,025	22,405	6,998	4,306	74.6	61.5
CA-5	1,169	641	2,46	1,483	54.8	60.2
CA-6	656	621	206	121	94.6	58.7
CA-7			474	223		47.0
South	17,449	10,893	22,439	14,786	62.4	65.8
CA-2	809	552	205	77	68.2	37.5
CA-3	1,667	885	3	879	53.0	29.3
CA-4	14,584	9,297	15,71	12,258	63.7	78.0
CA-5	-	-	3,38	1,477	-	43.7
CA-6	389	159	144	95	40.8	65.9
Central-West	3,807	2,418	5,128	2,369	63.5	46.2
CA-3	541	253	1,889	819	46.7	43.3
CA-4	3,24	2,139	1,313	659	66.0	50.1
CA-5	-	-	1,55	709	-	45.7
CA-6	26	26	376	182	100.0	48.4
Totals	67,657	47,665	90,072	49,688	70.4	55.1

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[1] Bruno Teles Nunes: Doutorando do Programa de Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu em Educação da Universidade Católica de Brasília (UCB). Contato: brunonunes@ymail.com.