Rousseff weakness may hit Brazil education reforms

Subject

The prospects for education reform.

Significance

Following a series of national education reforms starting in the mid-1990s, achievement levels and enrolment rates have risen at a rapid rate. However, despite these recent improvements, Brazil still lags behind other middle-income countries in educational development. In the most recent PISA reading exam, Brazil ranked 53 out of 65 countries that participated, obtaining scores similar to those of Colombia and Tunisia.

Impacts

• Teachers' unions will remain a political obstacle to education reform.
• The deteriorating economic and political outlook risks putting paid to difficult policy changes.
• Failure to improve basic education will prove damaging to Brazil's long-term competitiveness and employment prospects.