**BACKGROUND**: After three centuries under the rule of Portugal, Brazil
became an independent nation in 1822. It also overcame more than half a
century of military intervention and has been pursuing industrial and
agricultural growth and development of the interior since then.
Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool, Brazil is
today South America\'s leading economic power and a regional leader.
Pressing problems include a highly unequal income distribution,
illiteracy and taxation policies.

**AREA**: 8,511,965 sq km (5th largest country in the world) (3,286,490
sq.mi.)

**POPULATION** (2007 estimates): 188.526.128 inhabitants

**LARGEST CITIES** (2004 estimates): São Paulo (18 million), Rio de
Janeiro (12 million), Curitiba (2 million)

**I. EDUCATION**: **SOME ACRONYMS & USEFUL WEBSITES\
MEC**: *Ministério de Educação e Cultura* - Ministry of Education and
Culture\
[www.mec.gov.br](http://www.mec.gov.br/) - this site (in Portuguese) by
MEC includes information about the organization of the Brazilian
Educational System, the Accreditation Process and accredited
institutions.\
[www.educacaosuperior.inep.gov.br](http://www.educacaosuperior.inep.gov.br/) -
this site offers a link to check on a higher education institution's
status.\
**SINAES**: *Sistema Nacional de Avaliação da Educação Superior* --
Brazil's higher education evaluation system\
**ENADE**: *Exame Nacional de Desempenho de Estudantes* - A national
exam to evaluate students' academic performance, consisting of an exam
and a feedback form to find out the student's profile and opinion about
the courses/programs attended. It is scheduled every three years and
included in the student's transcript. MEC also issues declarations
exempting candidates from the exam. This year, 13 course areas were
selected (to be re-evaluated in 2007).\
**ENEM**: *Exame Nacional Do Ensino Médio* - National Secondary School
Exam\
**VESTIBULAR:** College Entrance Examination

**II. MAJOR EDUCATION TRENDS AND PROBLEMS** (adapted from
[www.brasilemb.org](http://www.brasilemb.org/) )\
1. Quality in public schools, vs. most private schools, is still
deficient at all levels. There is a contradictory situation: high-income
students attend public universities taking the place of low-income
students who cannot afford private universities. The reason for that is
that they attend private high schools which provide better exam
preparation to pass the "Vestibular," the university entrance
examination. A new quota system for minorities and public school
students was implemented to partly solve this situation.\
2. In 2006, 24,000 of the 60,000 available places (40%) in private
universities were not taken, indicating that fewer students have applied
to private institutes. The Government Program determines that 10% of
these vacancies ('University for All' Program -- Prouni) should be
reserved for needy students with per capita family incomes below minimum
wage, preferably public school graduates and basic education teachers in
the public school system.

**III.** **ORGANIZATION AND STRUCTURE\
a) Educational levels\
**The Brazilian Educational System is divided into three levels:
fundamental, intermediate and higher education, the latter comprising
two different levels: undergraduate and graduate. Preschool or infant
education is added to this hierarchical structure, for the purpose of
providing assistance to children under 7 years of age. Any youth or
adult who did not follow or finish regular schooling at the appropriate
age has the possibility of making up for the delay by attending courses
and taking examinations that adapt the mode of education to this special
type of student. Preschool education aims at supporting all aspects of
child development psychomotor, cognitive, socio-affective, and
linguistic; it also aims at creating conditions for the acquisition of
knowledge and its progressive systematization It comprises a diversified
pedagogical program on three forms of assistance: at day nurseries, for
children up to 2 years of age; in kindergartens, for children from 2 to
3 years of age; and in preschool, for children from 4 to 6 years of age.

**a1. Fundamental Level (or First Degree or Elementary School -- Ensino
Fundamental)**\
Fundamental school, compulsory to 7 to 14 year olds, extends over eight
grades, with an annual minimum of 800 hours of activities. To enroll in
the first grade, the student must be 7 years old, although entrance at
an earlier age is allowed, depending on rules and regulations of each
educational system. The common core of the fundamental education
curriculum is defined by the Federal Council of Education, is compulsory
in the whole country and comprises Portuguese, Social Studies, including
History and Geography, Physics and Biology Science and Mathematics. The
diversified part is defined by the needs of each educational system and
of each school, taking into account regional and local characteristics,
the schools\' plans as well as individual differences and aptitudes of
students. The requirement for entering intermediate school is to have
finished fundamental school or the equivalent suppletory schooling.

**a2. Intermediate Level (Secondary Level or Degree -- Ensino Médio)\
**Intermediate schooling takes up 2,200 hours of effective schoolwork,
spread over at least three annual grades. When the course includes
professional training, it may last for four or five years, depending on
the nature of course and the minimum content established by the Federal
Educational Council for each area. Finishing intermediate education is
one of the requirements for entering higher education. A number of jobs
require specific intermediate level of schooling.

**a3. Higher Education (Ensino Superior)\
**Higher education in Brazil is organized in two levels: undergraduate
and graduate. The latter may be understood lato sensu (updating,
specializing and further studies courses) or stricto sensu (master and
doctorate courses). Besides finishing intermediate schooling, the
student who wishes to enter higher education at the undergraduate level
must pass a classifying entrance examination, specific to each course.
At the graduate level, entrance requires having completed an
undergraduate course and going through the selection process established
by the institution. In graduate courses stricto sensu, the development
of an individual paper is required a master\'s degree dissertation and a
doctorate thesis the latter being expected to constitute an original
contribution to the theme focused upon.

**IV. BRAZILIAN STUDENTS IN THE UNITED STATES**\
We rank as the 14^th^ country in the number of international students
attending US Higher Education Schools. The number dropped in 3.2% from
the period of 2004/2005 to 2005/2006 (7,244 students to 7,009 students)

**V. FULBRIGHT EDUCATION USA ADVISING NETWORK IN BRAZIL\
**<http://www.fulbright.org.br/estude2.html> 

\- We provide information and orientation on academic (undergraduate,
graduate, short courses and English Language Programs) and professional
development programs in the United States and guidance on the process
for admission to U.S. academic programs;

\- We provide information about scholarships offered by American
Institutions to Brazilian students and guidance regarding application
for financial aid;

\- We administer admissions exams such as TOEFL, GRE, GMAT, and USMLE;

\- We offer advisory and institutional services to the Brazilian public
and to private schools and universities that aim to promote the
development of their staff or faculty in courses overseas;

\- We maintain an updated collection of reference materials, brochures,
videos and CDs sent by American Educational Institutions so that
students can find the program that fits their needs;

\- We maintain an updated homepage and invite students to explore the
links;

\- We give lectures about the American Educational System and offer
Educational Institutions the opportunity to give presentations that
provide information about their programs and courses;

\- We act as liaisons between American schools and Brazilian students
and, whenever requested, we help the American Consulate and Embassy
promote their programs;

\- We respond to questions regarding the Brazilian educational system
from admissions officers in U.S. universities. Check
[www.oseas.nafsa.org](http://www.oseas.nafsa.org/) and
<http://www.bibl.u-szeged.hu/oseas_adsec/>

\- We organize educational fairs and promote educational fairs that
choose to come to our cities

\- We offer certified translation services of transcripts and diplomas
with the EducationUSA seal, which means centers affiliated with the U.S.
State Department.