The compulsory education in Brazil

The compulsory school duration in Brazil will increase. In November last year was enacted Constitutional Amendment (EC) 59 , which establishes the deadline until 2016 for its progressive implementation in networks. Until then, all education systems have to fit, as parameters to be stipulated by the National Education Plan, to provide "education compulsory Basic and free from 4 to 17 years of age, including guaranteed its free offer to all that she did not have access in their own age. " With this change, the Brazilians are entitled to 14 years of free education. Gradually, the country is extending the minimum period for which its citizens, by law, must remain in school enrollment.
To remember: until 1971, compulsory and free education was only four years - the so - called primary school. After 1971 it was increased to eight, and in 2010 nine, with the decision to start primary education to 6 years old. Given the requirement in place today (nine years), Brazil has matched many countries Europe, which have between nine and 11 years of education provided by the state. With the text of the EC 59, our country will overcome them if we consider the legislation. In practice, however, a European has about 17 years of schooling in life. In other words, studying more than the minimum required by law. Here, unfortunately, it does not. According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), an adult has an average of seven years of schooling and about 15 million Brazilians aged 10 or older were illiterate in 2008, despite the law providing for the eight years of education fundamental. The facts prove that, here, only the laws guarantee neither the access nor the quality of education. On the other hand, it is essential to note that if they did not exist, the picture could be much worse! Generally, we tend to have a certain revulsion to all that is imposed on us because we think that assaults our individual freedom of choice However, in education, this requirement constitutes a two-duty: the government has to offer vacancies as citizens of school age must necessarily be enrolled. And it is still also a two-right: the company may require that its members be educated, as well as individuals have the right to receive the community access to education. That is, no one has the individual right to be ignorant and governments do not have the right to keep the people in ignorance. Therefore, we must charge a free quality education as we are required to study. For the good of the whole society.

In what law I can rely on me to perform an action at the school to help elementary school students (4th and 5th years) with age-grade to advance to the compatible series? Many believe that the reclassification of students It should be decided by central agencies such as Departments and Education Councils. However, Brazilian law is clear to indicate the school unit as directly responsible for this task. The Law of Guidelines and Bases of National Education (LDB), paragraph 1 of Article 23 states that the Basic Education "school may reclassify students, including in the case of transfers between establishments in the country and abroad, based on the general curriculum standards ". Specifically on the elementary and high schools, the item I of Article 24 states "rating in any series or stage" in three ways: "a) by promoting, for students who have graduated with success the previous series or phase in itself school; b) by transfer to candidates coming from other schools; c) regardless of the previous schooling through evaluation by the school, which set the level of development and experience of the applicant and allow their inclusion in the series or appropriate step as regulations its education system. " That is, in all cases, the school has a central role. Thus, the units need to establish procedures and criteria and create mechanisms to perform these actions. There is no doubt that managers will be challenged to enter a very delicate ground on which hitherto reigned meritocracy and rigidity imposed by traditional school space and time. This constitutes an excellent point for schools move forward in their autonomy, so called, but not always respected and very little practice.

The workload of pre-school in primary schools must be the same this educational stage? Not have to match. The elementary and high schools, according to Article 24 of the LDB shall comply with at least 200 school days and 800 hours per year. Preschool education is not included in this definition. National legislation does not differentiate between the organization and functioning of educational steps according to the type of school. So, even working in the same building, the Children's Education does not need to follow the specific rules of the elementary school. This also serves to other steps or procedures. If the school also works with high school and Youth and Adult Education, each must follow its own rules.

Is there any law that determines the maximum number of students that can be enrolled in a class? Marcia Regina Carlon, Joinville, SC, and Eliara Almeida de Araújo, Eunápolis, BA Nationally, not yet. There are states and municipalities that have both stipulated maximum as minimum amounts for the formation of new groups. And nothing prevents other education systems governing the matter regardless of whether decisions established throughout the country. But chances are very soon be a regulation for Brazil. The bill 597/2007 determines the maximum number of students who may be accompanied by one teacher as follows: - Five for groups of children under 1 year of age; - Eight to classes between 1 and 2 years; - 13 for groups between 2 and 3 years; - 15 for groups between 3 and 4 years; - 20 for groups of 4 to 5 years; - 25 students for classes the first five years of primary education; - 35 classes for the final years of elementary and high school. That bill has passed the examination of the Chamber of Deputies and is now in the Senate. It is known that this issue has direct consequences in terms of the action of workers in education, with specific interference in the organization of school units and the quality of teaching. See also document reference CONAE on the number of children per classroom