This phrase comes from a Brazilian song, from 1934, whose continuation said, "where is honesty". May the author excuse me, in the case of Noel Rosa, for plagiarism, but I would ask “Where is the Quality” and, in my case, of Elementary Education.
In a national news report, some politicians affirm that it is necessary to educate the people regarding climatic problems that have displaced thousands of residents from their homes, with some deaths.
Perhaps they do not remember that in 2019, Brazil spent 6.2% of the Gross Domestic Product on basic education, higher than that of Italy (3.6%), Japan (4%), Germany (4.2%), South Korea (5.4%) and the United States (6%), and the same as the United Kingdom (6.2%). In addition, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development: an international organization analysis shows that the ratio of spending, in Brazil, from elementary through higher levels is 12.68, while in Germany, Ireland and Japan, the values are, respectively, 2.48, 2.67 and 1.93.
However, there is a way to generate more funds for education and at the same time deal with climate change. There are intelligent solutions to correct/reduce geological risks. Glycon de Paiva stated, in an article published in 1993 (REM - Revista Escola de Minas, v. 44, 1993, p. 121-122) that: the urban subsoil is homogeneous. It is necessary to discover its structure and geometry so that it can be used more safely, and at a lower cost, for urban infrastructure services (water and sewage canalization; ground or underground transportation routes; building foundations; geotechnical dimensions; containment of slopes; guarantee of ecological balance; and use of existing underground water, etc.).
Glycon also shows that the ratio between records related to savings occurring from the construction of urban infrastructure, thanks to the detailed geological knowledge of the subsoil in the cities, and those related to savings registered from commercial minerals, was estimated at 6 to 1 in the United States; this ratio is even higher in Europe, because the region is less mineralized than America. And he concludes: in short, Basic Urban Geology is more profitable for the Nation than Mining Geology producing mineral goods ". This is because it extraordinarily lowers the cost of the basic infrastructure of cities, where two thirds of the Brazilian population live and earn their livelihood.
To conclude, still relying on Glycon: the intelligent use of the subsoil, to make the fundamental task of living easier and more affordable, especially in regions with busy topography, has great possibilities for national enrichment regardless of the wealth of the subsoil. It will also allow full use of geology professionals, regardless of the limited task of conditioning the production of a few hundred economic minerals.
This is the true view of the problem, which the government does not see, and who knows, one day it will open its eyes, and we are sure that the population would appreciate it, as there would be resources left for Elementary Education.
Publication Dates
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Publication in this collection
17 Apr 2020 -
Date of issue
Apr-Jun 2020
