The Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) representative in Brazil, Jorge Werthein, said that what Brazil needs is government policy to improve the country’s educational system.
“This is something that is missing. Brazil has never had a government educational policy like many other countries. What it would do is make education more than just something important.
“It would make education the priority. That is something that unfortunately Brazil has not done,” he said.
Werthein cited a recent survey by Unesco, which found that Brazilian teachers do not read newspapers and rarely go to the cinema or theater. And more than half of them have never been on the Internet.
The teacher’s lack of information can be traced to family structure where most of the parents of teachers did not complete elementary school (up to the eighth grade).
“These are teachers who have trouble in their own families. It is a real struggle for them in an adverse situation,” says the Unesco representative.
Werthein also pointed out that there is a high level of physical violence in Brazilian schools which has a negative impact on education quality and the learning process.
Agência Brasil
Translator: Allen Bennett