National Framework (categories 2, 3, 6, 7, 10)
As explained by Alves (2008) Formal Education was introduced in Brazil by Catholic leaders, the Jesuits, which arrived with Portuguese Colonizers around the year 1500. According to this author, education was mainly religious, there were no laws regarding it and it was not seen as important due to the Portuguese mentality of exploitation of the Colony instead of development. Also, women and people considered slaves were not seen as people who could benefit from education and most white men went to Europe to study, so schools were mostly attended by mestizo men born in Brazil.
At the beginning of the XIX century, the Portuguese Royal Family moved to Brazil escaping from the Napoleonic Invasion and education started to get some attention. They established Higher Education Institutions (mostly military and medical schools), but there was no importance given to primary and secondary education (Alves, 2008).
Only at the beginning of the XX century, some reforms tried to establish a more organized structure that considered those levels, always keeping the main ideal of free education to all citizens (da Cunha, 1991). The first University was founded in 1909 and in 1930, primary and secondary education started to get more attention due to the First World War and professional education was included in the curriculum of the Secondary Education level.
In 1964 the Brazilian government was taken by the military and a Dictatorship started, which augmented the authoritarianism concerning education and banned students associations. An educational reform was done and the main focus was Professional Education, there were laws defining which content should be studied, which books could and could not be used and all of the material produced had to be pre-approved (da Cunha, 1991). There are many cases of people who "disappeared" during this period for disagreeing and supposedly acting against the government.
In 1988, after the return of Democracy, a new Constitution concerned about the equality in education approved determined the universalization of education and the eradication of illiteracy as a responsibility of the government (Brasil, 1988) and in 1996 the main law of the Brazilian Educational System, Law No 9.496, was approved (BRASIL, 1996). Since 2016 changes have been made on this law as a part of an Educational Reform that is still ongoing but, except when explicitly cited, all of the information written on this blog is based on this law.
Nowadays, the framework of the Formal Educational System in Brazil is organized as shown below. In this scenario, students are given a certificate when they succeed Preschool, the Final Years of Primary Education, Secondary Education and Higher Education (multiple certificates to be explained in another post):
Language Minorities, migrants, and minority students: All students can enroll in Brazilian institutions of education even if they are not legal residents in Brazil. There are no national laws or recommendations guiding the inclusion specifically of these students, so there are a lot of private schools specialized in a certain nationality (American school, French school, Korean school and others). An initiative concerning equity is the right given to the indigenous population assured by law to also study in their own language and to adapt the curriculum content to their reality. Furthermore, quota laws concerning access to Higher Education are also in place to strength equity, they are described in another post.
Private Institutions The private initiative can open schools as long as they are authorized by the government, follow the general guidelines of education in Brazil, and are evaluated by the public sector.
Special Needs Education: from the moment they are born children with special needs (defined in Brazil as disability, global developmental disorders, and high skills or giftedness) have the right to be assisted by the public educational institutions preferably included in Regular Education and supported by specialized services available at these schools. If by specific personal barriers the student cannot be included in a regular classroom he or she will be able to attend a school which offers Special Needs Education. The organization of the phases of these schools and the terminality of them will be defined based on the students' capabilities and interests.
Youth and Adult Education: receives students that are over 16 years old and that for some reason cannot attend regular education, such as work or multiple retentions. It may include accelerated learning (less than 200 school days/year).
Professional Education: this is a secondary school modality which includes the development of technical skills related to different fields for example administration, mechanics, or technology. The technical training can be offered during the same years of the secondary education on the contrary shift of the regular education or after the end of the secondary school for a period varying usually from 12 to 18 months.
References:
Alves, G. L. (2008). História das idéias pedagógicas no Brasil. Revista Brasileira de Educação, 13(37), 173-178.
BRASIL, L. (1996). 9394/96. Estabelece as Diretrizes e Bases da Educação Nacional. Brasília.
do Brasil, G. F. (1988). Constituição da república Federativa do Brasil. Brasília, Senado Federal.
da Cunha, L. A. C. R. (1991). Educação, Estado e democracia no Brasil (Vol. 17). Cortez Editora.
At the beginning of the XIX century, the Portuguese Royal Family moved to Brazil escaping from the Napoleonic Invasion and education started to get some attention. They established Higher Education Institutions (mostly military and medical schools), but there was no importance given to primary and secondary education (Alves, 2008).
Only at the beginning of the XX century, some reforms tried to establish a more organized structure that considered those levels, always keeping the main ideal of free education to all citizens (da Cunha, 1991). The first University was founded in 1909 and in 1930, primary and secondary education started to get more attention due to the First World War and professional education was included in the curriculum of the Secondary Education level.
In 1964 the Brazilian government was taken by the military and a Dictatorship started, which augmented the authoritarianism concerning education and banned students associations. An educational reform was done and the main focus was Professional Education, there were laws defining which content should be studied, which books could and could not be used and all of the material produced had to be pre-approved (da Cunha, 1991). There are many cases of people who "disappeared" during this period for disagreeing and supposedly acting against the government.
In 1988, after the return of Democracy, a new Constitution concerned about the equality in education approved determined the universalization of education and the eradication of illiteracy as a responsibility of the government (Brasil, 1988) and in 1996 the main law of the Brazilian Educational System, Law No 9.496, was approved (BRASIL, 1996). Since 2016 changes have been made on this law as a part of an Educational Reform that is still ongoing but, except when explicitly cited, all of the information written on this blog is based on this law.
Nowadays, the framework of the Formal Educational System in Brazil is organized as shown below. In this scenario, students are given a certificate when they succeed Preschool, the Final Years of Primary Education, Secondary Education and Higher Education (multiple certificates to be explained in another post):
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The number of students per class: There are no rules about the number of students in each class but there is a recommendation for not exceeding 13 students in Preschool classes, 22 in Primary classes and 30 in Secondary classes. As it is not mandatory and there is no inspection of it, the number of students per class is often much higher.Language Minorities, migrants, and minority students: All students can enroll in Brazilian institutions of education even if they are not legal residents in Brazil. There are no national laws or recommendations guiding the inclusion specifically of these students, so there are a lot of private schools specialized in a certain nationality (American school, French school, Korean school and others). An initiative concerning equity is the right given to the indigenous population assured by law to also study in their own language and to adapt the curriculum content to their reality. Furthermore, quota laws concerning access to Higher Education are also in place to strength equity, they are described in another post.
Throughout the Educational System two types of institutions can offer education:
Public Institutions This type of school is managed by government bodies. They offer education with no tuition fee for everyone and are supported by many allied social measures (healthcare attention, transportation, school textbooks, feeding programs). Teachers have to pass a concourse to work at public schools, what gives them employment stability, meaning they can not be fired and are able to continue their work even trough government changes.Private Institutions The private initiative can open schools as long as they are authorized by the government, follow the general guidelines of education in Brazil, and are evaluated by the public sector.
These two types of institutions can offer their courses based on four different modalities:
Regular Education: follows the regular academic calendar (minimum 200 days/year) and accepts students that have the corresponding age to attend the grade intended.Special Needs Education: from the moment they are born children with special needs (defined in Brazil as disability, global developmental disorders, and high skills or giftedness) have the right to be assisted by the public educational institutions preferably included in Regular Education and supported by specialized services available at these schools. If by specific personal barriers the student cannot be included in a regular classroom he or she will be able to attend a school which offers Special Needs Education. The organization of the phases of these schools and the terminality of them will be defined based on the students' capabilities and interests.
Youth and Adult Education: receives students that are over 16 years old and that for some reason cannot attend regular education, such as work or multiple retentions. It may include accelerated learning (less than 200 school days/year).
Professional Education: this is a secondary school modality which includes the development of technical skills related to different fields for example administration, mechanics, or technology. The technical training can be offered during the same years of the secondary education on the contrary shift of the regular education or after the end of the secondary school for a period varying usually from 12 to 18 months.
References:
Alves, G. L. (2008). História das idéias pedagógicas no Brasil. Revista Brasileira de Educação, 13(37), 173-178.
BRASIL, L. (1996). 9394/96. Estabelece as Diretrizes e Bases da Educação Nacional. Brasília.
do Brasil, G. F. (1988). Constituição da república Federativa do Brasil. Brasília, Senado Federal.
da Cunha, L. A. C. R. (1991). Educação, Estado e democracia no Brasil (Vol. 17). Cortez Editora.
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