The progress already made and the future challenges in improving the quality of public education in the country while ensuring equity for all are issues of interest to the entire educational community and society at large. The recent results of the 2023 School Census, released by the Ministry of Education (MEC) and the Anísio Teixeira National Institute for Educational Studies and Research (Inep), reveal that there are still many issues that require attention in the coming years—in the short, medium, and long term.

For example, in K-12 education, compared to 2022, there was a decrease of 500,000 enrollments in public schools, while the private school system expanded by 4.7%, reaching a level close to that observed in 2019, before the pandemic. The data also show that approximately 8.8 million of Brazilians aged 18 to 29 have not completed high school and are not attending any basic education institution. Considering all age groups 18 and older, there are more than 68 million people in the country without a basic education.

On the other hand, full-time education saw an increase in the enrollment rate in basic education from 18.5% (2022) to 21% (2023) in the public school system, a percentage closer to the National Education Plan’s target of 25%. Education Minister Camilo Santana stated that expanding access to full-time education is one of the federal government’s priorities for ensuring that young people stay in school, with investments totaling approximately R$4 billion.

Public Education at Bett Brasil

In order to expand and foster dialogue about the country’s public school system, Bett Brasil— Latin America’s largest event for innovation and technology in education—will feature, among the new offerings at its 29th edition, an exclusive, free area dedicated to public education.

The venue will feature an exhibition area for high-impact projects developed by non-governmental organizations, a lounge for public officials to exchange experiences, and an auditorium hosting lectures over the course of four days.

Among the speakers already confirmed are: Igor de Alvarenga, State Secretary of Education for Minas Gerais;Herbert Lima, Secretary of Education for the City of Sobral; Alan Porto, Secretary of State for Education of Mato Grosso; Claudia Costin, President of the Singularidades Institute; Yohansson Nascimento, Vice President of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee (CPB); Julia Sant'Anna, Executive Director of CIEB; Chico Soares, Professor Emeritus at UFMG; Allan Pevirguladez, teacher in the Rio de Janeiro municipal school system; Renilda Peres, Superintendent of the Getúlio Vargas Foundation; Helber Vieira, researcher at Inep; Renato Filho, mayor of Pilar (AL); and Diego Calegari, Municipal Secretary of Education of Joinville. 

• Check out the complete schedule for the Public Education Area
• Register for free for Bett Brasil 2024

The lecture topics include: inclusive education, key legislative proposals for 2024, training for school administrators, vocational education, strategic investments in technology, social-emotional learning, the OECD report, and combating extremism in the classroom, among others.

Admission to the Public Education area is free for all visitors to Bett Brasil, which will take place April 23–26 at Expo Center Norte in São Paulo.You can register here.

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