The basic education quality challenge
In 2008, Ministers of Education from the Iberian and Latin American countries, in a meeting in El Salvador, accepted the project: "Educational Goals for 2021: The Education we want for the Bicentennial generation", which is made up of a set of 11 goals for 2021. Its objective is to offer, in the next decade, good- quality education, able to meet the social demands. Analysing each goal by itself, one can see that having every child and teenager, from 4 to 17, in school, is still a challenge to face. But to make sure they receive proper education is, no doubt, the greatest challenge. Students still learn too little during all their school life. In Brazil, for example, only 9,1% of the students who get to finish High School prove to have learned in Math what they were expected to; concerning Portuguese, this percentage gets to 25%, nothing to be proud of. For no other reason are Latin American countries repeatedly ranked in the lowest positions according to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which focus on 15- year- old students.
The Educational Goals for 2021 Project is set up exactly when it is clearer and clearer that only high- quality education will enable all those countries to align their economical and social development. The great problem now is to agree on the "homework to be done". The following three tasks are undoubtly a consensus.
The first one is to break illiteracy; in other words, to make sure that every child will be literate before eight. The studies of reseacher Marcelo Néri, from Getulio Vargas Foundation (Rio de Janeiro) have shown that the probability of an illiterate parent's child being illiterate too is 32%, while it falls to 0.2% when the parent has completed the college education. That study emphasizes the idea that illiteracy can reinforce social inequalities. In spite of the high levels of illiteracy in Latin America, we can see no specific measure to eradicate it on the part of the Ministers' proposals.
The second task refers to funds provision. Investiments on basic education in Latin America should be significantly increased. Otherwise, reaching the goal of a for- all high- quality education will be difficult. Brazil is an example: despite the improvement noticed from 2006 on, it still invests very little on basic education. According to Brazil's Minister of Education himself, in 2007, only R$ 2.005,00 was invested per student a year, six times less of what is done by European Economic Community Countries.
The third and probably the most challenging task refers to teachers' valueing. According to PISA, that is what made countries such as Finland, Singapore and South Korea get to the world basic education top. In such countries, high school best prepared students are encouraged to follow the teaching career; the competition is fierce. Why is it so, exactly the opposite of what happens in this part of the globe? First of all because the initial salaries are attractive. Secondly, because the teaching career focus on merit and continuing education. Thirdly, because college education is consistent and in accordance with basic education challenges. Unfortunately, the basic level of education is not a priority for our universities. Finally, working conditions are very good; in those countries, the education quality standards are really respected as a citizen's right, that is, the right to learn. In Finland, for example, the learning opportunity for a student in Lapland, the home of Santa Claus or in the capital city Helsinki is the same.
The proposal accepted by Education Ministers and supported by the Iberian and Latin American countries State Organization (OEI) now needs to reach the streets in order to be also accepted by society in general for only social engagement will in fact turn education into a priority in the Latin part of the world.
The efficiency of the Education- Research and Innovation relationship depends necessarily on the formation of qualified critical mass, which, in turn, depends on high- quality basic education. Thus, investing in basic education is the first step for a prosperous and more socially fair development.
Mozart Neves Ramos (UFPE)
Member of the National Council of Education of the Brazilian
Ministry of Education and Executive Officer of the All for Education Movement
Publication Dates
-
Publication in this collection
06 May 2010 -
Date of issue
2010
