While Brazil has seen a decline in learning poverty rates over the past 10 years, mainly due to its efforts in elementary education, it still faces a learning poverty rate of 48%. This means that 48% of Brazilian children aged 10 cannot read and understand a simple story.
At a recent event organized by Todos Pela Educação and ITAU-BBA, Jaime Saavedra, Global Director of Education at the World Bank, delivered a keynote speech in which he presented the objectives of the Human Capital Project and the global goal of Learning Poverty. In front of an audience from the private sector, politicians, and civil society, he presented the new data from the Bank on learning poverty and specific findings for Brazil. He explained that quality education brings significant returns for productivity and competitiveness and that Brazil is currently not measuring up to other countries at its income level.
“Brazil could increase the quality of education and labor productivity by expanding quality early childhood education with smart involvement from the private sector, reforming initial teacher training and practice, a comprehensive review to professionalize the teaching career, and providing more equitable funding and support to municipalities,” says Mr. Saavedra.
His remarks were echoed by other speakers, including Priscila Cruz, Executive President and Co-founder of Todos Pela Educação, who emphasized the importance of investing in people, and Rodrigo Maia, President of the National Congress, who mentioned the need to ensure greater efficiency in public spending on education.
Eliminating learning poverty, however, cannot be the sole responsibility of the Ministry of Education. It will require a multisectoral approach from the entire government. To explore the practicalities of making education a national priority, Saavedra participated in a panel titled “Education as a National Priority.” Alongside Ana Carla Abrão, Director of Oliver Wyman, Marcos Magalhães, President and Founder of the Institute for Educational Co-responsibility, Paulo Hartung, former Governor of Espírito Santo, and chaired by João Marcelo Borges, Director of Political Strategy at Todos Pela Educação, the participants discussed the importance of applying the lessons from successful reforms at the state level in Ceará, Pernambuco, and Espírito Santo.
Source: World Bank