Brazil Failing to Educate

In several ExchangeEveryDay issues this year we have highlighted how focusing on education has lifted the economies of countries such as Singapore, South Korea, and Vietnam.  Now the New York Times (September 5, 2010) reports that Brazil's rise in the world may be limited by its educational gaps…

“One of Brazil’s least educated presidents — Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva completed only the fourth grade — soon became one of its most beloved, lifting millions out of extreme poverty, stabilizing Brazil’s economy, and earning near-legendary status, both at home and abroad.

“But while Mr. da Silva has overcome his humble beginnings, his country is still grappling with its own.  Perhaps more than any other challenge facing Brazil today, education is a stumbling block in its bid to accelerate its economy and establish itself as one of the world’s most powerful nations, exposing a major weakness in its newfound armor...

“Over the past decade, Brazil’s students have scored among the lowest of any countries for students taking international exams for basic skills like reading, mathematics, and science, trailing fellow Latin American nations like Chile, Uruguay, and Mexico."

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