This October, Brazil went to the polls to elect new mayors and city council members in the country’s 26 state capitals and in more than 5,500 other cities across the country. Voting is a means for the public to make their voices heard, with the hope of fostering a better future for everyone. In this context, education is always a top priority among the most urgent demands the public makes of their representatives on city councils and the mayor.   

The Bett Blog spoke with civil society organizations and education-related institutions to find out what the priorities are for higher-quality and more equitable education, with regard to literacy and inclusive education—two recurring areas of concern among educators.

Below are opinions on the literacy agenda of “Todos Pela Educação” and the “Lemann Center for Leadership in Educational Equity.”

In Brazil, there is a major challenge regarding children’s literacy. The National Common Core Curriculum (BNCC) establishes literacy as the primary focus of educational efforts during the first two years of elementary school; however, the statistics on illiterate children in the country remain a cause for concern.

The Literate Children Indicator, which shows the percentage of students enrolled in the 2nd grade of elementary school who meet the national literacy standard, indicated that in 2023, just over half (56%) of children in public schools at this grade level were literate. The data were released by the Anísio Teixeira National Institute for Educational Studies and Research (Inep).

To provide some context, municipal school systems account for 86% of the 11,644,258 enrollments in the early grades of elementary school nationwide. In this regard, public policies must focus on ensuring that more students reach literacy by the 2nd grade of elementary school and, at the same time, help those who are further along in their educational journey but still cannot read or write to catch up.

Bernardo Baião, the Educational Policy Coordinator at Todos Pela Educação, emphasizes the crucial role of municipalities in basic education. He states that there are two public policy priorities focused on literacy. The first is a structured policy focused on ensuring literacy at the appropriate age. “This involves a program with materials, teacher training, and a curriculum that is aligned and designed to address the challenges of literacy,” says Baião. 

He emphasizes the importance of assessment tools, such as reading fluency assessments—which have been gaining ground in Brazil—and writing assessments, which are also essential. “The literacy process begins as early as early childhood education. Therefore, the more municipal administrators influence and encourage early childhood education programs to incorporate the principles of literacy from the very beginning, the better,” he adds.

The second policy highlighted by the Educational Policy Coordinator at Todos Pela Educação addresses the need for academic enrichment programs, as data show that more than 40% of children are not literate and continue through the school system without knowing how to read and write. “It is essential that municipal administrations implement academic support programs so that these students—in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades of elementary school—can catch up on their learning. Reading and writing are the foundation for every other subject,” concludes Baião.

Todos Pela Educação is a civil society organization with a single goal: to bring about meaningful change in the quality of basic education in Brazil. We are a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization with no ties to political parties, and we are funded by private donations.

Eduardo Marino, Applied Knowledge Manager at the Lemann Center for Leadership in Educational Equity, emphasizes that the organization’s goal in the coming years is to promote equitable learning through the development of educational leaders.

"There is evidence that effective educational leadership can promote higher-quality and more equitable learning," he says. According to Marino, for these leaders to fully benefit from the training offered, the political context must be conducive. "Starting in 2025, the Lemann Center will work with elected mayors to raise their awareness and engage them in prioritizing education and building their legacies in this area," he explains.

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He also revealed that the Lemann Center is organizing a training program for mayors and secretaries, with the goal of demonstrating that “prioritizing education can generate not only social capital through high expectations for student learning but also an increase in public funding for education.” He notes that, by prioritizing education, municipalities can be recognized as educational models, as is already the case in some cities in the Northeast.

Marino states that educational inequalities begin with access to daycare centers and preschools, since few municipalities meet the goal of having 50% of children enrolled in daycare centers, and many have not yet achieved 100% enrollment in preschool. “In addition to the challenge of access, there is the challenge of the curriculum,” he says, noting that, although the National Common Core Curriculum (BNCC) for early childhood education is widely praised, its implementation remains limited in most Brazilian municipalities.

"A large number of children enter elementary school with little exposure to literacy and numeracy," warns the Applied Knowledge Manager at the Lemann Center. He also mentions the need for teacher training in effective literacy methodologies for children up to age eight.

“It is also essential that schools understand the profile of their students in terms of race, socioeconomic status, disability, and region of origin. This understanding, combined with diagnostic assessments of reading and writing, is crucial to ensuring that educational support is provided through the lens of equity, with greater attention given to those who need it most,” he concludes.

The Lemann Center for Leadership in Educational Equityis an independent, nonpartisan, global organization founded by the Lemann Foundation and inspired by the city of Sobral, in Ceará.

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