Makiguchi Project in Action – Enhancing
Education for Peaceby Dilma de Melo Silva“Education comprises formative processes that are developed
within family life, communal life together, work, educationaland research institutions, as well as within social movements,societal organizations and cultural manifestations.”
Law Number 9394 of December 20th, 1996

This is a report on two innovative educational projects in Brazil, theMakiguchi Project in Action and Literacy Poles, initiated andoverseen by the Brazil–Soka Gakkai International (BSGI) Educators
Division. The supportive, volunteer efforts that facilitated thesuccessful outcomes of both projects arose from identifying thecommon desire to enhance the quality of education in Brazil.
The Makiguchi Project in Action was the convergence of two
events: Brazil’s adoption in 1997 of the National Curriculum
Parameters, as a result of Law Number 9394, and the 1994
publication of Educação para uma Vida Criativa (Editora Record), thePortuguese edition of Education for Creative Living: Ideas and Proposals of
Tsunesaburo Makiguchi (Iowa State UP). In 1994 educators andpsychologists of the BSGI Educators Division developed a series oflectures and consultations on the quality of public education out of
which a direction and framework of implementation were created for
the Makiguchi in Action Project. Since then, the project has beensponsored in 55 schools and introduced in 1,103 classrooms to morethan 34,000 students.
From 1983 to 1987, the Literacy Department for Youth and Adults
created and implemented an experimental project in adult literacy tobenefit the membership of the BSGI. With awareness of the high levelof functional illiteracy that affects an estimated 56 million Brazilians,the project was further developed as a public outreach programadministered at designated Literacy Poles in major cities. As of thiswriting, over 800 students have completed the 40-hour program andqualified for public literacy examinations.
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Introduction
The objective of the present work is to examine the implementation of
the Makiguchi Project in Action and the Literacy Poles, bothdeveloped by the BSGI Educators Division, in an attempt to highlightthe practical elements of the successful outcomes. Several instruments
administered by the Educators Division were used in the collection ofdata for this report: To gain an overview from the pedagogical
spectrum, interviews were done with school administrators, teachers,
parents and students of several São Paulo City and State publicschools. For statistical and qualitative purposes, a questionnaire wassent to 100 teachers who participated in the Makiguchi in Action
Project. They were asked to evaluate student participation and the
project overall, and to suggest ways the project had an effect on thestudent’s quality of life. Reports, testimonies and additional commentsfrom teachers and students were also documented in an effort todetermine the potential contributions of the Makiguchi in Action and
Literacy Poles to the Brazilian educational system in general.
The institutional participants in the Makiguchi Project in Action
are educators and specialists in various areas of education and as such
have volunteered their professional expertise without political or
religious bias and without financial remuneration. The training
received through the Project focuses on the integration of roles in thetask of education carried out by the school, the family and thecommunity and seeks to inspire a collective commitment to that task.
Out of these cooperative efforts, results of practices are shared towardfinding effective solutions to improve the quality of teaching.
These and other educational outreach activities have come about
as a result of the more than 500 volunteers who participate in the
BSGI Educators Division, which is subdivided into three groups: theMakiguchi in Action Project, the Literacy Department for Youth andAdults, and the Science of Education Research and Development
Department.
The tenets of the Educators Division are derived from its parent
organization’s social aims and principles, as perhaps most succinctly
expressed by Daisaku Ikeda, the president of the Soka Gakkai
International and founder of a number of cultural as well as
educational institutions: “Peace begins inside one’s mind. This is a63

T he Jou rn al o f Ori en t a l Stu d ie s 10 :S p ec i a l Iss u e

concept that finds resonance in the Buddhist conviction that humanlife possesses the inherent ability to create value and to promoteharmony within society as well as within ourselves and ourenvironment. Culture is the living expression of that human capacity;
education is the vehicle to polish the creative potential of theindividual. Therefore, education and culture are key ingredients to
the realization of peace.” (trans. from Revista Terceira Civilização, 8)
The Educators Division used as its groundwork the pedagogicalthesis of Japanese educator Tsunesaburo Makiguchi as outlined in
Educação para uma Vida Criativa. His thesis places great emphasis on thesensory-emotional and cognitive development of the student: Above
all, the student must enjoy school. Education therefore must apply
itself to the development of the unlimited potential and talent of thestudent and to the cultivation of the student’s character.
1. Overview of the Brazilian Educational System
The current levels of the basic educational system are as follows (fromhighest to lowest):
S CHOOL D EGREE/DIPLOMAYEARS OF ATTENDANCES UPERIOR:
Bachelor, Masters and Doctorate
EDUCATION FOR YOUTH AND ADULTS:
Technical, Vocational
SPECIAL EDUCATION:(For Physically or Mentally Impaired)
MEDIUM HIGH SCHOOL:
FUNDAMENTAL:(Elementary and Junior High Schools)
LITERACY COURSE:
PRE-SCHOOL:

Graduate: Various
Undergraduate: 4–5 years
3–4

3
8 (Compulsory)

Source: Ministry of Education/INEP [National Institute for Pedagogical Studies], 1999

The enactment of Federal Law Number 9394 (December 20,
1996), the Law of Guidelines and Foundations of National Education,
consolidates and broadens the public duty towards education in
general and toward compulsory education in particular. Written into
the law’s provisions of minimum requirements to be met by school
curricula is the flexibility at the school administrative level to evaluate
and adopt curricular components directly relevant to the quality of64

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education administered and to the processes of developing good
citizenship. In its specification of the Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais[National Curriculum Parameters] (13–16), the Ministry of Educationencourages school initiative in the formulation of educational projects
and recognizes the fact that responsibility for the entire educative
process rests with all those involved in doing the educating. The
Parameters were designed to aid schools in (10):•

Review of educational objectives, course content, ways of
conducting activities, learning expectations and assessment
procedures•

Assessment of teaching practices and their congruency withthe educational objectives•

Preparation of lesson plans that can guide the work andprogress within the classroom•

Discussion with the working team of factors affecting thegreater or lesser participation of students in school
activities•

Identifying, producing and/or requisitioning new materials
to improve the learning experience•

Enhancement of the range of educational themes fordiscussion with parents and legal guardians

The Parameters suggest curricular integration of cross-cultural
themes which take into account local and regional realities,
democratic values and social issues in addition to standard curricularsubjects (Portuguese, mathematics, the natural sciences, history,geography, arts and physical education). The introduction of local
and regional themes is to include content that is consistent with thegiven educational objectives and didactic-pedagogical orientation.
Examples of social issues include ethical values, cultural plurality,
sexual orientation, environment and health.
While the responsibility for implementation of the educational
directives rests primarily with the school teachers, often found is alack of professional preparation and support to do so. Innovative
approaches to obtain the requisite support are necessary to achieve
desired results in the schools.
65T he Jou rn al of Ori ent a l St ud ie s 10 :S p ec ia l Iss u e

At present in Brazil, education is faced with the overarchingproblem of social inequality. An associated increase in violent andcriminal behavior is sadly reflected in the schools. On February 1,
2000, the Sindicato de Especialistas de Educação do Magistério Oficial do
Estado [State’s Official Teaching Trade Union for Specialists in
Education], formerly the Official Teaching’s School Directors Union(UDEMO), released five studies that show the occurrence of school
violence in the São Paulo capital and other cities:
OCCURRENCES OF VIOLENCE IN 308 SCHOOLSOF THE GREATER SÃO PAULO REGIONTYPE OF VIOLENCE% OF ALL REPORTED INCIDENTS
Sexual assaults
46
Physical attacks
46
Threats or other aggression
27
Theft, mugging or robbery
26
Graffiti
26
Unemployment- or alcohol-related
19
Property damage
14
Damage to vehicles
11
Stoning9Fires
9Drug use
7
Gang activity
7

The findings suggest the deterioration of social values present in theschools. They may be evaluated as a reflection of the immediate needfor new social models and paradigms within the school environment
and the broader need of repair in the social fabric that can provide
support of a more equitable reality based on humanism and peace.
2. The Makiguchi Project in Action in São PauloWith the aspiration to support the renewed commitment to education
exemplified by the adoption of national curricular guidelines, the
BSGI Educators Division sought out the educational framework,
principles and approaches espoused by Tsunesaburo Makiguchi fromwhich an innovative program could be designed. More directly, theprogram was conceived as a response to the local and regional schoolneeds for education professionals and teaching tools that would give66

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rise to innovative teaching practices, the higher achievement ofeducational objectives, and the placement of emphasis on student
creativity and happiness.
The educators, psychologists, artists and other specialists comprising
the Educators Division’s project team identified core competencies
around which to focus teacher support. First was the pooling of humanresources and experiential wisdom to inspire teachers to develop theirprofessional abilities. Second was to determine a practical framework
for a humanistic model of an educational system, a vision of which was
aptly described by Daisaku Ikeda:
There are schools for teaching young people knowledge andtechnical skills. Yet there are no educational institutions thatteach life or how to live, no schools that help people truly
cultivate themselves. However, such training lies at the core ofhumanistic education. (The New Human Revolution 4: 148)

One of the fundamental points discussed and analyzed by theDivision is the role of the teacher as a facilitator of learning. The
facilitation of learning, it was determined, hinged on not only theteacher’s ability and creativity to transform the classroom
environment into a place from which student willingness to learn canflow but also the concerted efforts on the part of both teacher andstudent happily involved.
Broadly acknowledged was the ineffectiveness of coercive teachingmodels in which teachers face down to the students and discountteacher-student interaction as part of the educational process. The
national curricular parameters ask for a reformulation of such models.
From its consultations, the Educators Division proposed ways bywhich to achieve that reformulation by enhancing the role of theteacher to free the student from ignorance and in which the teachingof a subject becomes not an end but a means of developing thestudent’s capabilities.
2.1 The Project’s Inception and History
Educators Division consultations at the developmental stage of the
program highlighted points of emphasis derived from Makiguchi’s
educational proposals. It was important that through theimplementation of the project several insights would be gained:67Th e Jou rna l o f Ori en t a l Stu d ie s 10 :S pec i al Iss u e

Educators must come to realize that the teaching imperative must be
the facilitation of learning not teaching. Education, for its role in thedevelopment of the student’s ability to create values, must be
considered as a lever to effect change in society. Educators must be
viewed as human beings with a demonstrated ability to continue theirself-improvement and a demonstrated commitment to thefundamental role they play in the educational process. This
demonstrated commitment translates into the educator’s active
involvement in creating a favorable environment for the developmentof each student. The school must be viewed as the place within which
students take active roles in their own growth and are at the center ofthe complex interactive processes facilitating that growth.
In September 1994, the Makiguchi Project in Action was initiatedat Caetano de Campos Primary and Secondary State School (EEPSG)
as the Spring Program and offered to the second-year students of theelementary level. The program offered workshops in gardening andarts and crafts (paper flowers, wrapping packages, etc.) for students
and parents. The program concluded in December 1994 with an
Ecology Luncheon that served the vegetables grown by the students.
As part of the three-month Spring Program, the students
researched the nutritional values of foods. They also wrote andperformed a play in which the characters were vegetables. Throughthese activities, the students and their friends learned in a verypractical and creative way the importance of diet.
In the gardening workshop there were unforeseen difficulties
encountered with ants, birds, snails and other pests that can harm theplants. The students together with instructors and parents dealt witheach problem and found solutions. The successful outcomes for the
students proved broader than the activities, most notably in positive
behavioral changes: a decrease in absenteeism, an improvement instudy habits, and an increase in constructive interactions with otherstudents and instructors. What had become clear in the Spring
Program was the importance of the participation of the student’s
family in reinforcing the educational process. Parents wereencouraged to come to the school, receive workshop training andbecome actively involved as in the gardening workshop where they
prepared vegetable beds, planted seeds, watered and harvested withthe students.
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Due to the remarkable successes of the Spring Program, thefollowing year the program was offered to every class from the firstthrough fourth-year classes of the elementary level at Caetano deCampos. In his December 14th letter, school director Paulo de Tarso
Semegini requested the authorization and support of the Educators
Division in expanding the program to 32 classrooms andacknowledged the invaluable contribution of BSGI to education
through the efforts of its Educators Division.
In 1995 the Spring Program became the Makiguchi Project in
Action and was implemented in four more schools in state andmunicipal public schools. The workshops were expanded to include
the art of origami, children’s theater, paper flower-making and choir.
As teachers and directors who had been involved in the Makiguchi
Project in Action transferred to other schools, word spread of thesuccess stories achieved and requests from surrounding schools to
implement the program increased. Student-created exhibits andcultural events further publicized the learning experiences gained in
the Makiguchi Project in Action workshops. As a result, a strong
concentration of schools in the São Paulo City East Zone
implemented the Project.
To provide forums of exchange and interaction, the Educators
Division organized meetings, seminars, symposiums and conferencesthat discussed assessments of the program and ways to improve
program offerings. These findings were then reflected in newproposals and objectives, written materials were prepared for theteachers, and centers for research and development were created.
2.2 Participation
As of May 2000, the Makiguchi Project In Action has been offered in
the classrooms of 55 municipal, state public and private schools in thestate of São Paulo and one school in Curitiba, Paraná. Participation
has included 1,103 teachers and 34,015 students.
AREAS WHERE PROJECT TOOK PLACE
TYPE SCHOOLEAST ZONE
Schools for Child Education
5
Municipal Schools
Private Schools

5

SOUTH ZONE

3

OTHER
3 (SãoVicente City)
1 (Curitiba City)
3
69

Th e Jo ur na l of O ri en t al St u d ie s 1 0: Sp ec ia l I ss ueState Schools

20

State Schools, Fundamental

42

6 (downtown,
Guaruja City,
Piracicaba City,
Limeira City,
Santa Barbara do
Oeste City)
2 (Arraes City,
Campinas City)TOTAL NUMBER OF TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
INSTITUTIONSNUMBER OF
S CHOOLS(SCHOOLS FOR CHILD EDUCATION)
Municipal
Private(1ST TO 8TH GRADE SCHOOLSOF THE FUNDAMENTAL LEVEL)
Municipal
State
PrivatePiracaia City Parents &Friends of theHandicapped Association
TOTAL

NUMBER OF
TEACHERSN UMBER OFSTUDENTS

8
1

99
10

3,362
102

10
34
1

230
755
5

6,501
23,954
48

1

4

48

55

1,103

34,015

2.3 Administering the Project
The Project begins when a school initiates a request. Then a project
team within the Educators Division creates and submits a project
proposal for approval by the school directors and counselors. Next,
the proposal must be ratified by the competent educationalorganizations at the state and municipal levels. Once a partnership isestablished, workshops and lectures for the teachers take place during
either the designated “pedagogical collective working hour for stateschools” (HTPC) or “special integral working hours for municipal
schools” (JEI) before or after class hours.
At these monthly teacher preparation times, teachers meet with themembers of the Makiguchi Project in Action to gain an understandingof the program objectives and their application in the classroom. The
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teachers are also taken through a step-by-step orientation about theactivities of each workshop.
The preparations vary with the type of activity selected by theteachers. For the workshops for arts and languages, for example, there
is an initial activity to encourage group integration followed by adirected activity, a creative activity and then a closing activity. Afterthe workshop training the teacher organizes the educative content andgoes over with the students the knowledge and techniques gained in
the workshop training.
Working with artistic activities allows an encounter with one’s true
self, thereby giving meaning to one’s existence. The projectemphasizes that the use of artistic-expression activities provides abetter way for self-knowledge, and by experiencing his/her own
individuality, the student is able to find the ascending path toward
greater humanity. One becomes conscious that he/she is creating
something, understands and sees his/her expression being respected.
It is this way that makes it possible to grow and become happy.
At the end of school year, the schools prepare reports and promote
exhibits of the results achieved and make them available to teachers,
parents and the community at large.
Workshop training with parents is done bi-monthly in two-and-ahalf-hour sessions. The training begins with a lecture from the BSGI
Science of Education Research and Development Department on thetheme of the role of parents in their children’s education. From there,
attendees are divided into smaller groups that will take part in the
program workshops.
2.4 Workshops
Over the past six years, the Makiguchi Project In Action has
developed the following program workshops that are offered in theschools. The goal is to promote activities that enrich the students’
lives and make education a more create and pleasant “duty”:
1. Jewelry: Making necklaces, rings, barrettes and key holders
using paper, magazines, beads and wire
2. Art of Wrapping: Making gift boxes from empty packages;
pencil holders, scissors holders and rulers using special
microwaved paper71Th e Jo ur na l o f O ri en t al St u d ie s 1 0: Sp ec ia l I ss ue

3. Porcelain Painting: Painting decorative motifs of fruits,
flowers and animals; doll modeling
4. Newspaper and Straw Crafts: Weaving baskets, frames andpencil holders; making straw vases
5. Flower Making: Making flowers using silk stockings
6. Art and Language: Human rights education throughtheater; learning musical and percussive instruments madeout of scrap metal; using historical narration techniques;
producing plays out of creative games; writing songs andballads; learning stage make-up; and other arts
7.

Origami: Making animals, flowers, dolls and other objects

8. Gardening and preservation: Learning horticulture, field
planting and the uses of medicinal herbs
2.5 Application in the Classroom
All workshop activities are reflected in the teacher’s lesson plans forthe semester. For example, the origami workshop incorporates into
the art of paper folding a playful way to introduce ideas of geometry,shapes and proportion, and color combination. Lessons fromworkshop activities can be applied across disciplines, such as arts
education, Portuguese, science and mathematics. The vegetablegarden workshop, for example, incorporates a wide variety of
applications. The students learn about space and planning, measuring
perimeter, volume and depth, nutrition, health, ecology, artistic
appreciation, communication skills, respect for the work of others,
and teamwork. In addition, the workshops may be expanded toinclude activities outside the classroom. There are testimonies ofstudents and parents who use the knowledge acquired in theworkshop to cultivate their own vegetable gardens and to make theirown arts and crafts.
Teachers submit their semester lesson plans to the Makiguchi
Project in Action department of the Educators Division. These
contain also the name of the school, individuals in charge, teachers
involved, a timetable for the workshops, the objectives and amethodology for presenting the results.
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2.6 Guiding Principles
The guiding principles of the Makiguchi Project in Action are actionoriented. The activities of teaching and learning as well as building
and creating are all done together to facilitate a pleasant student
experience. As Tsunesaburo Makiguchi said:
Study is not seen as preparation for living, but rather study takes
place while living, and living takes place in the midst of study.
Study and actual living are seen as more than parallels; they
inform one another intercontextually, study in living and living
in study, throughout one’s whole life. (Bethel, 10)

Accordingly, education is a dynamic and open human relationship. It
cultivates a critical conscience of the various issues in life for the
student, such as morals, culture, ecology, technology and politics. It
cultivates also an awareness that every person has a wealth ofuntapped potential.
Human intelligence expresses itself through diverse styles and in
the form of capabilities that we must respect. This holistic thinking
involves forms of contextual, intuitive and creative comprehensionthat sees learning as a continuous process in which every situation inlife may facilitate learning by being an internal process of selfdiscovery. Learning must be active, self-motivated and sustainable
and must stimulate the human spirit by becoming a well-rounded andinterdisciplinary process, thereby integrating the community throughits global perspectives. The resources are available within everyone.
People can use these resources whenever they want to by being
conscious of their potential. Wisdom is the ability to know how to usethem to live a better life.
All activities have as their premise Makiguchi’s idea that theessence of the educative process is happiness. As Makiguchi has said:
Unfortunately, the effects of psychological toxification in children
caused by forced learning of masses of unintelligible information
are not immediately visible. Consequently, the detrimental effectof this poisonous process in children’s lives are not recognized.
The situation is serious, but when we search for the causes of the
problem, we are faced with the paradox that teachers and parents
alike see themselves as providing for the future well-being of thechildren even though they make them miserable in the process.
73Th e Jo ur na l o f O ri en t a l St u d ie s 1 0 :Sp ec i al I ss ue

Sooner or later, everyone concerned with education must cometo realize that schooling that sacrifices children’s present
happiness and makes some future happiness its goal violates the
personalities of the children as well as the learning process itself.
… [T]he purpose of education is to enable children to become
responsible, healthy cells in the social organism, to contribute to
the happiness of the society, and, by doing so, to find meaning,
purpose and happiness in their own individual lives. (Bethel, 22)
In this sense, it is not the better economic budgeting of school
programs, but to instill joy and appreciation for work that
becomes the main focus of the proposed changes.” (Bethel, 10)

Another significant component in his pedagogy is the creation ofvalue or the capacity to find significance in life to enhance one’s own
existence and contribute to the welfare of others. In practical terms,
this means to contribute in identifying and cultivating aptitudes,
directing the students to a field in which their talents will be best
adapted, and enabling them to participate creatively so that they
become happy and competent.
Creating the dynamics of the workshops and lectures depends
greatly upon the roles of the school, family and community in the
educational processes. Makiguchi emphasized the importance of
these roles:
Effective education, Makiguchi insisted, can only be carried on
as a three-way partnership between the school, the home, andthe community. At the heart of his program of educational
reform, therefore, was a proposal to create a completely new
education system, in which each school, home and community
each were to be responsible for a specific part of the educationaltask. (Bethel, 9)

The workshops emphasize an integration of these three roles bycovering the following topics in training workshops:•

74

For Teachers: Self-esteem, motivation, creativity, work,
cooperation versus competition, the creative teacher andsocialization, human rights, duties and ethics, globalizationand citizenship

MAKIGUCHI IN ACTION•

For Parents: The creative family, effective communication,
respect for the individual, understanding teenagers, building
your child’s self-esteem, education for living, theaccumulation of knowledge, perseverance and responsibility,
team spirit, and family harmony

The following chart illustrates the differences between traditional
educational principles and those utilized in the Makiguchi Project in
Action:TRADITIONAL EDUCATION•Focus on teaching•Emphasis on the transferenceof knowledge•Teach how to do•Works with the logical-mathematicaland linguistic intelligence•Rewards submission•Low motivation•Low index of progress•Inertia, routine•Teacher transfers knowledge•Vertical relationship between
teacher-student•Approach through specific disciplines•Non-personal relationship

HUMANISTIC EDUCATION•Focus on learning•Emphasis on the developmentof abilities and attitudes to learn•The students learn while doing•Works with multiple intelligence,
including emotion and creativity•Rewards participation•High motivation•High index of progress•Active participation, happiness•Teacher stimulates learning process•Horizontal relationship between
teacher-student•Interdisciplinary approach•Valuation of affectionate ties

2.7 The Nature of Learning and Teacher’s Training
This Project has contributed to spread the theories and humanistic
ideals on education of Makiguchi. According to him, education has
the purpose of: (1) developing the unlimited potential and talent
inherent in each individual (2) cultivating humanism that develops theinternal motivation of the individual in the sense that makes him/herable to create value in his/her life and within society (3) enriching thepersonality of each individual through the establishment of a broad
and flexible mind by cultivating a spirit capable of transcending
difficulties. These ideals were incorporated into the design of the
Makiguchi in Action program to help the teacher:•

Be conscious that the acquisition of knowledge by the students
involves a complex process of reorganization and mental
construction to interpret and to learn curricular contents.
75

T he Jou rn al o f Ori en t a l St ud ie s 10 :S p ec ia l Iss u e•

Propose problems and challenges that encourage thestudent to develop hypotheses of their own and test them.

•

Recognize that mistakes are part of the learning process.

•Intervene positively in the student’s formulation andreformulation of discoveries and desired results.

•

Determine the relevance of evaluative criteria used in theteacher’s evaluation of and respect for the student.

•

Approach education from the premise that a student’s
action as opposed to inaction creates an opportunity to
exercise both reason and emotion and to balance logic withintuition and creativity.

•

Create conditions in which the student experienceshappiness in the school and thereby finds the school
relevant to his/her life.

The proposal has points in common with the assertions made byPeter Mittler of Manchester University (also a consultant to
UNESCO): “There is a need of a movement for educational
inclusions, the curriculum must change, we need different value
systems in the schools, we need different approaches for the trainingof teachers” (trans. from Revista Presença Pedagógica 6).
2.8 Difficulties in Implementation
One of the difficulties faced by the Educators Division in theimplementation of the Makiguchi Project in Action in the schools wasa certain apprehension from some of the teachers. The training andworkshop activities meant deviating from routine schedules, andteachers resisted any proposal to alter what they knew well andexperienced every day. Some expressed the insecurity of facing new
and potentially challenging situations that could arise from greaterinteraction with the students and dealing with students bubbling overwith energy and excitement. Only after the first results in the Spring
Program did these teachers begin to show interest and become
involved.
To win over the shy teachers, it was necessary to convince them
about the advantages of working in groups and of participating in
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community work. The rediscovery of the community as a form ofsolidarity helped them to break immobility and reticence.
Another difficulty faced was the transfer of teachers and directors
to other schools. It was especially difficult when a director wastransferred because conflicts with the new director inevitably arose. It
was necessary to gain the consensus and support of the new director
and the school’s program team because it was impossible toimplement the program when they were at cross purposes. It wasincumbent upon the Educators Division to bridge the communication
barriers. Finally, due to low wages many teachers taught in more than
one school and they were unable to attend all the training andworkshop activities. In these cases, it became necessary to implement
the Makiguchi Project in Action through the school’s planning. Of
course, delays in coming up with school plans caused loss of time andfragmentation of the program activities.
2.9 Reports and Testimonies of Teachers, Directors and Supervisors
Through direct observation in the classroom and interviews withteachers before and after taking part of the activities, measures of the
program’s impact were made by the Makiguchi Project in Action
department of the Educators Division. Through these encounters,
many insights were shared about ways of learning and teaching. The
teachers felt valued, stimulated, their self-esteem rises and there is an
exchange of experiences. They each felt integrated with learning itself
and with the two-way relationship that constitutes the teaching
network between teacher and student.
At São Miguel State School, located in the East Zone of São Paulo
City, there are 60 teachers and 2,000 students in the first throughfourth grades. Some 30 teachers were involved in the Makiguchi
Project in Action. In their interviews, they expressed excitement over
the results on their students. Pictures of the various workshop
activities lined the school hallways. One of the teachers related:
I was discouraged with my second-grade class. There were manydifficult students who did not know how to read or write. I
didn’t know what to do with them, and I seriously consideredretirement so I could leave the school. With the activities of the
Project, I found within myself a capacity unknown to me before.
I decided not to retire because the class began to respond to my77

The Jou rn a l of O ri ent a l St ud i es 10 :S p ec ia l I ss u e

proposals. We’ve been able to get out of our old routine. The
students are happy because they are productive, and I am evenhappier because they are happy.

This testimony suggests many gains: the teacher feels more secure,works with more confidence and finds internally a capacity
unexplored from years of routine activity. Supported by new methodsof creative learning, the teacher and student alike are able to express
themselves through non-verbal language with positive results.
The program coordinator at the school lends support to theteacher’s claims, in stating:
The activities of the Project made the school more capable andconscious of its role; the school acquired a good reputation
among other schools; the teachers became more effective
because they knew that they must search for innovations.
We’ve had many advances. Naturally, there is still skepticism
and resistance, but most participate and cooperate in the Project.
Concerning parent participation, the process has been slow
because only a few actually take part. Some mothers do achievepractical results. One of them took part in the jewelry making
activity. She learned how to do it and made many pieces ofjewelry and sold them all by the end of the year. She increased
her family income that way.

In fact, the school’s standing rose within the Region’s Board of
Education East-2 system. Its achievements were hailed in schools inother areas.
Commitment to the project and its successes was strong. Although
the São Paulo State Official School Teachers Association (APEOESP)
assembly called a strike for better working conditions and wages,
teachers involved in the Project elected to remain in school toparticipate in the monthly training activities. One teacher took theactivities to other schools at which she works.
A parent of a student enrolled at the Reverend Tércio Moraes
Pereira School made the following comment:
Our objective [as parents] is to improve our living standards andwe want to know that people will help our children and will help
with the school.
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MAKIGUCHI IN ACTION

All aspects of student learning are integrated with the activities. For
example, there is a history telling activity. After the history telling, theteacher moves on to other disciplines. The class is not limited to onlythat space, time or place.
These testimonies suggest that an effective partnership was struck
between the Project team and the schools to stimulate dialogue withthe teachers and propose ideas and strategies that can be implemented
by the school’s technical and administrative team. They also reflect
improved teacher relationships with the students.
Of broader import, the very existence of the program has helped
to articulate and provide the impetus for improved teaching
methodologies. The renewal of teacher confidence — signified by theteacher’s opportunity to depart from routine methods, pool available
human resources and utilize available materials — accounts in part for
the enthusiasm with which the Project has been met.
2.10 Report of Findings
The most important impact of the Project to be determined is its
potential to create positive values within Brazil’s social realities. When
the workshop activities are conjoined with group commitment andpractical problem-solving to create a more just and humanistic society,educators are able to become the catalyst in the transformation ofshared ethical values.
The following tabulates responses by 100 teachers from 17 schools
to evaluate change perceived as a result of the Makiguchi Project in
Action. The respondents represent 10% of all teachers who haveundergone workshop training.
TEACHER EVALUATION OF CHANGE IN THE SCHOOLSITEMSIMPROVEDNO CHANGE
WORSE
Learning(students’ school progress)
Teacher/student relationship(sensory-emotional)
Discipline (classroom &school behavior)Student motivation, participation,enthusiasm to learn
Student interest in research(creativity/curiosity)

NO RESPONSE

94

3

0

3

93

1

1

5

74

18

1

7

92

3

0

5

84

9

0

7

79

Th e Jo ur na l o f O ri en t a l St u d ie s 1 0 :S pec i al I ss ue

Development of student’s
potential
Teacher overall understandingof the students
Student development of social
conscience (respect, tolerance,cooperation)
Teacher knowledge of thestudents (praising performance)
Teacher-parent relationshipInformation exchange
between family and school life
Parental involvement andparticipation
Teacher relationship withother teachers
Teacher relationship withstudents
School truancy
TOTAL

83

5

0

12

81

9

0

10

80

14

0

6

90

2

0

8

47
47

39
36

1
0

7
17

34

45

1

20

85

6

1

8

85

7

0

8

50

35

0

15

1,119

232

5

138

The results can be subdivided into four areas: attitudes toward
teaching, the sensory-emotional relationship, decrease in school
truancy and parental participation.
The most dramatic results were found in attitudes toward teaching,with over 90% reporting that attitudes had improved. There weremixed results for the sensory-emotional relationship. Problems inschool absenteeism and low parental participation may suggest theeffects of socio-economic realiities, instability of the homeenvironment and other factors unidentified or otherwise beyond thereach of this program.
Overall, these evaluations serve to document the positive impact of
the Makiguchi Project in Action on the Brazilian education system.
2.11 Minimizing Violence and Social Exclusion
In the reports by teachers, directors, and parents, we only findreferences that relate directly to the sphere of the school; for example,
progress in school objectives, better discipline, motivation,
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MAKIGUCHI IN ACTION

productivity, and self-esteem. Nevertheless, consideration from an
extracurricular point of view must be given to the student’s situation
and upon the necessity to improve the student’s standard of living.
Exclusion from society is a menace to youth and may be acontributing factor to school truancy and school failure, leading stepby step to delinquency and crime. Demands made by the Project on
students’ schedules are within the minimum school requirements andserve only to integrate the student into social organization. Statisticalresearch to date offers no conclusive evidence that would link Project
outcomes with a decrease in social isolation. An assertion can bemade, however, that the implementation of the Project offers a kind ofintervention in social exclusion and can serve to bolster the educative
capacity in areas suffering from socio-economic inequalities anddisadvantages.
Many schools, for example, are situated in peripheral zones of São
Paulo City, where there is a high level of crime and violence. The
living condition of children and teenagers is troubling, not particularly
welcoming, sheltering or protective of youth or their dignity. There isspreading poverty exacerbated by illegal drug trafficking and an
associated lack of access to basic necessities. Postive actions aredesperately needed to help decrease social exclusion and the risk ofresorting to crime. Even within the school environment, students are
victims of attacks, thefts, muggings and other violent activity.
There are two views on decreasing violence in the schools. One
seeks the palliative effects of more stringent policing and constructionof more barriers, padlocks, alarms and bars. The other one seeks toaddress the causes at root of the problems by creating community
awareness of the schools and validating the school’s role in thecommunity through guidance for the parents as well as community
meetings and open lectures. This view also suggests the need for extracurricular activities such as cinema, theater, music and sports events.
The proposals of Tsunesaburo Makiguchi parallel the latter view,in that the search for solutions begins inward. It also tries to integrate
the three basic poles of the educational process: school, family andcommunity. The Makiguchi Project in Action has begun to seek
solutions to minimize the difficulties concerning violence and social
exclusion faced in the schools. According to the projections of the
Educators Division, more medium- and long-term programs will81

T he Jou rn al o f Ori en t a l Stu d ie s 10 :S p ec i a l Iss u eafford opportunities to collect qualitative and quantitative data on thesocial impact of the Makiguchi Project in Action.
3. Literacy Poles
According to 1995 U NESCO data, the illiteracy rate in Brazil is thesecond highest in Latin America (after Bolivia). Based on parametersprovided by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE
in Portuguese): “We consider illiterate an individual over fifteen yearsof age that cannot read or write. According to the 1996 National
Research of Sample in Residences (PNAD) Brazil has 15.5 million
people that fall under this definition, which corresponds to 14.7 % of
the population” (I BGE/PNAD).
One of the main factors for social exclusion is illiteracy. It occurs
more frequently within the elderly segment of the population and in
the poor and urban areas. Illiteracy increases in proportion to age andis more prominent among women. In addition (IBGE/PNAD):[M]ore than one third of the Brazilian adult population isconsidered to be a functional illiterate – a person who is unable
to use reading and writing in daily activities. In Brazil, those over
20 years old and have only four years of formal schooling are
included in this definition.
If we use the current I BGE census which indicates a populationof approximately 166 million, we have about 56,606,000
functional illiterates.

In his published dialogue with Daisaku Ikeda, Austragésilo
Athayde, the late President of the Brazilian Academy of Letters, spokeof the grave situation that affects a significant part of the population:
Regardless of the efforts of several reformers who have fought
arduously for the past fifty years, literacy still remains a black
stain in Brazil. It ranks the country as one of the most backward
countries in Latin America. Attempts by various organizations toeradicate the problem have also failed due to the enormity of the
problem. (p 176)

The literacy needs of many individuals within the BSGI prompted
the formation of the Literacy Department for Youth and Adults andits development of a literacy program.
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3.1 Course Design
After five years of experimentation (from 1983 to 1987), the Literacy
Department for Youth and Adults was created within the BSGI
Educators Division. The program it proposed consists of 40-hourcourses for each fundamental-level primary grade, or a total 160 hours.
The Educators Division deemed it necessary to create a literacy
program for youths and adults who did not have the opportunity to
study, who sought to improve their status in the job market and theirstandard of living, and who desired the ability to exercise theircitizenship with dignity. In addition, the literacy program fulfilled a
proposal made by the President of the National Institute of
Educational Studies and Research, who called for action to improvethe education of the nation through the development of “programs inpartnership with non-governmental organizations for specific actions
to fight school failure and illiteracy and to stimulate programs ofcontinuous development in service” (Revista Presença Pedagógica 45–46).
The Literacy Department for Youth and Adults provides education
for individuals who otherwise would not have the opportunity toreceive formal schooling. Students receive education at designated
Literacy Poles throughout São Paulo City and in other Brazilian states.
The learning activities derive from the larger organizational principlethat human beings are endowed with the capacity to overcome theirdeficiencies through the creation of value. The sensory-emotional andintuitive approach to thinking that is utilized necessarily went beyond
the technical transmission of reading and writing.
Below is a comparative listing of elements in the Literacy
Department’s programs with the more traditional adult literacy classes.
COMPARISON OF PROPOSALSOTHER PROPOSALS FOR ADULTS•Different levels of participantsin the same classroom•One teacher per classroom•No individualized assistance•Classroom with excessive numbersof students (up to 40)•No specific support material foreach participant•One methodology for all students

PROPOSAL OF BSGI L ITERACY D EPT•Different levels in different
classrooms•One teacher and assistant monitors•Monitors assist each individual•Classrooms with a maximumof 20 students•Support material developed
from the daily life of each student•Many methodologies geared toindividual students83Th e Jo ur na l o f O ri en t a l St u d ie s 1 0: Sp ec ia l I ss ue•No specific training for teachers•No operational support•Many school days per week
•Little concern for family ties
•Reading and writing capacity
after 400 hours•Continuous training for teachersand monitors•Operational support from volunteers
for cleaning, feeding, security•One school day per week
•Extra class activities, strengthening
family ties
•Reading and writing capacity
after 40 hours

3.2 Implementation
When a BSGI member expresses an interest in participating in theliteracy program, the individual is invited to enroll at one of the nearby
Poles. A series of exams is administered to determine the individual’slevel of writing and reading comprehension. The students are assigned
to different classrooms according to their level of placement.
An assigned monitor assists in carrying out the classroom activities
and is responsible for helping students through the exercises given by
the assigned teacher. Monitors identify the students’ difficulties andinform the teacher so that supplemental exercises can be prepared.
The usual, more traditional literacy programs bring together up to 40
adults of different placement levels who are assisted by only one (paid)teacher. BSGI’s teachers and monitors are all volunteers motivated by
the spirit of service for the happiness of others that is a guiding principleof Buddhist philosophy. The actions of these coordinators is based on alife philosophy directed at the development of the individual.
Each teacher-monitor team receives training before entering theliteracy course. Support and preparations are accomplished throughcourses, lectures and seminars. In-class observations of teachers andmonitors are made by the pedagogical team to guide the literacy
activities and ensure that the goals are being achieved. Classroom
texts include evaluation notebooks, newspapers, magazines,
audiovisual material, pamphlets, recipes, advertisements, even song
lyrics — in short, everything relevant to the student’s daily encounters
interests, needs and difficulties.
Operational support at the Literacy Poles is donated by BSGI and
includes teachers, monitors, secretaries, cleaning staff, security staff
and meal preparation.
84

MAKIGUCHI IN ACTIONClasses take place once a week, usually on Saturday morning, and lastfor four hours. They are divided into two stages. The first stage is theclass itself and the second is an evaluation of what has been learned. Inorder to complement what the student has learned in class, the student
does a variety of exercises at home, such as motor coordination exercises,
reading, comprehension and interpretation of texts. The assignment of“homework” has a positive effect on the family for, according to reports
from the students, they are able to receive help from relatives (a grandsonor granddaughter, nephew or niece, son or daughter).
The program is designed so that students who complete eighty
lessons are eligible to obtain a certificate of the fourth-grade level inpublic school (which corresponds to the first four-year cycle ofcompulsory schooling in Brazil). Students may then choose tocontinue their studies within the educational system.
From August 1987 through the first semester of 2000, 884 students
have completed their studies and qualified to take the public
examinations. Despite the short duration of the courses, the students
acquire the essential requirements to pursue further schooling.
LITERACY POLES AS OF MAY 2000
POLE LOCATIONSGreater São Paulo & Other Citiesin São Paulo State (10 locations)
Brasilia, Recife, Bahia, Rio de Janeiro(5 locations)

TEACHERS COORDINATORSSTUDENTS

41

325

385

20

92

123

Because there were no formal teaching materials for a 40-hour course,
the Educators Division developed its own resource pack geared to thespecific needs of the course. All supplementary materials areorganized and at the disposal of all the teachers, monitors andstudents for purposes of consultation, research and use. Anyone may
contribute to the repository of materials.
Beginner’s classes give priority to learning to read and write, and theteaching methods employed are similar to those for children learning toread and write. The class then gradually introduces ideas in arithmetic. By
the final classes, lessons include history, geography, science and general
education as well as the continuation of Portuguese and mathematics.
Every week, coordinators at the Poles met with the Educators
Division to evaluate the literacy activities. Problems and difficulties85

Th e Jo ur na l o f O ri en t al St u d ie s 1 0: Sp ec ia l I ss uewere voiced, solutions were suggested, and proposals for
improvements were made. Experiences were exchanged, providing
for mutual enrichment. The processes then can be broken down as
follows: first, activity planning in the Literacy Department; second,
execution of these activities in the classrooms; and third, a return to
the Literacy Department for further refinement and/or redirection of
the literacy activities.
3.3 Reports and Testimonies of Participants
In the process of learning to read and write, students are asked towrite reports about their progress in the course and the resultant
improvements they note in their lives. These self-evaluative reports
attest to the success of the literacy program in terms of meaning to thestudents’ lives.
Joana Maria de Souza, Pole Carlos Rizzini:
Throughout my life, I have cherished a great desire to learn how
to read and write. I’ve become wife, mother, grandmother andgreat-grandmother and I remembered the saying: Hope is thelast to die. I had the opportunity and great joy to be one of thestudents of the Literacy Course for Youth and Adults when I was
71 years old.

The report of Joana Maria de Souza, born in Petrolina City,
Pernambuco State, is a portrait similar to those of hundreds or eventhousands of Brazilian women unable to attend school. Joana relates
her happiness merely to sit in a classroom and her gratitude for being
able to take and successfully finish the course.
Fábio de Abreu, Pole Saúde (São Paulo, May 25th , 1999):
My name is Fábio de Abreu. On March 9th I started the course
to learn to read and write. This course is helping me a lot in mywork, my home and in the [BSGI] organization. I am improving
my reading and writing and this has brought many
improvements in my life. I thank the teacher for all their support
to help improve my life.

After only three months in the literacy course, Fábio de Abreu’s
report already shows a reasonable control of written expression.
Teruko Kawamuro (Pole Saúde):86

MAKIGUCHI IN ACTION

I am attending Portuguese classes once a week at night. I read
and write but I don’t understand and speak. For that I have avery insecure life. When I was told about the beginning of thePortuguese classes, I had a hope, despite the difficulties, because
I have the help of patient people that encourage me to continue
for this reason, I am going to attend the classes till the end.

Teruko was able to advance two levels during the two semesters in1999 and reached the fourth grade of the fundamental level. She
passed school examinations corresponding to her level in publicschool and obtained her certificate to pursue further studies.
Maria Alves Ferreira (Pole Interlagos):
I was born in Acopiarain Ceará statetill I was 19 years old
I lived there
Then I got married
and in São Paulo came to live
My life has been
Of many difficulties
But I’ve been always optimistic
and face the adversities
with my head up
fight against the evil
I am not a poet
But some verses
I had time
notebook, pens and space
To the team of the course
All my affection

Maria describes her life from the time she was born in Ceará State
until she came to São Paulo.
Mankichi Kamakura (Pole Sul Culture Center):I started the BSGI Literacy Course with a lot of shame. In thefirst day I wanted to run away. People would ask, you came here
to help? Oh, good. And I timidly answered. No I came here tolearn with all of you. What a shame. I am enjoying to study. The
only thing I want to know is to study.
87Th e Jo ur na l o f O ri en t al St u d ie s 1 0: Sp ec ia l I ss ue

Mankichi came to Brazil when he was four years old. By the end of
the program he overcame all limitations and began encouraging
others in similar situations to enroll in the BSGI literacy programs.
4. Programmatic Support
In 1994, a group of psychologists and educators within the Educators
Division developed a series of lectures and consultations for parents
and children on the difficulties of teaching and learning. In 1995, thissame group took part in the Makiguchi Project in Action by offering
lectures to parents and teachers in the Caetano de Campos school
focusing on the aims of creating happy and harmonious families,
enabling positive attitudes in relationships between parents andchildren, and encouraging behavioral changes through the rethinkingof the roles of parents.
In 1998, the group called itself the Psycho-Pedagogical Researchand Development Nucleus and expanded its objectives and research
to the teaching of learning. When the Educators Division wasformed, the Nucleus became the Science of Education Research andDevelopment Department.
Its function is to support the activities of the Makiguchi Project in
Action and Literacy Poles by providing research on the philosophicalfoundations of education, supplemental resources, suggestions,courses, lectures and workshops. Its main focus is to awaken thehumanistic conscience of educators and to outline the creative,
intuitive, and rational processes necessary to that self-realization.
Resources used to supplement the basic educational and philosophicalteachings of Makiguchi include the works of Sigmund Freud, Carl
Jung, Carl Rogers, B. F. Skinner, Jean Piaget, Lev Yvgotsky, Rubens
Alves, Edgar Morin, Emilia Ferreiro and Paulo Freire.
4.1 Operations
In support of the activities of the Makiguchi Project in Action, the
Science of Education Research and Development Department
sought to identify the educational factors in the development of thechild and the child’s world. The ideas and proposals of Makiguchi
were the primary resources utilized in framing the relational factorsof the teacher-student and parent-child relationships conducive to88

MAKIGUCHI IN ACTION

discovery of the student’s capabilities. In support of the Literacy
Poles activities, the research department identified factors thatwould serve to reinforce self-motivation, self-esteem, and a sense of
citizenship. They also provided performance evaluation tools for theteachers and monitors. For both programs, the research department
created the course tools, including games, group activities, music
and videos.
Training workshops and lectures by the research department were
designed to help the educators learn to rely on internal resources(thinking, feeling and acting) and through interaction with theircolleagues discover strategies for changing behavior.
In the schools, the researchers gave training lectures that typically
included: warm-up exercises to focus on integration and interaction);
explanation of topics; group activities; synthesizing the message of theeducational concepts presented; and a survey of the results according
to the objectives proposed by the team. A feedback report fromparticipants describing their experience in the training lecture is
returned to the research department.
Feedback reports, comments and evaluations from each program
implementation are utilized by the research department to suggest
areas for improvement, assess progress toward program objectives,and develop and refine course tools.
4.2 Testimonies
To determine the effectiveness of the lectures, evaluative
questionnaires were developed. Following is a sample of comments
received:
The group activities brought together teachers who had become
distant due to personal problems. They increased our self-esteem
and provided us with very pleasant moments. (Coordinator
Manuel Cláudio do Nascimento, Umberto Conte Checchia
State School)
It made possible the integration of teachers from the twodifferent terms with the school’s director. (Sueli Aparecida deSouza, Umberto Conte Checchia State School)
We believe the theme is rather important for our schoolcommunity. The exercises help us with disciplinary problems. We
89

Th e Jou rn a l of O ri ent a l St ud i es 1 0:S p ec ia l I ss u ewill use the activities during the teachers’ meeting, and we will try
to keep up with the work during the special integral working
hours and within the classroom. (Adolfo Salla, Presidente
Prudente de Morais State School for Fundamental Education).
It provided the integration of teachers through highlighting
mutual support, more complicity, work with more humor, andunited team spirit. (Coordinator Simone Peoso Julian, Annita
Guastini Eiras State School)
The lectures help us to reflect on our daily attitude towards theparents and the children. The lecture in the meeting with parents
was very interesting. The parents are helping even more with
their children’s schoolwork. It is always good to hear fromdifferent voices about topics that emphasizes what we’ve been
doing and about helping the students, about whom we arealways concerned. (Flaviana Zacarias, Passo Seguro School)
All the lectures and workshops were of extreme importance forboth my practice and for myself. What drew my attention mostwas the point that emphasizes we have to know ourselves first
and then deal with people whom we don’t know. We learn about
ways to reach our objectives, and working with the philosophicalproposal that the school presents. When we do so, work flows
and we always feel good. There are times we think about giving
up or we are discouraged, but then I always remember
something that was said or that I’ve learned in one of the lecturesand it cheers me up, both in my professional career and in mylife! (Ariane Carla Oliveira, Passo Seguro School)
After the lecture on self-esteem I spent the whole day feeling very
happy, and everything around me seemed to be very good.
During the lecture, I searched for good things inside myself andI came up with the feeling that I have a lot of good things to offer.
(Vasti Evangelsita, Eunice Laureano da Silva State School)

5. Lessons Learned
The humanistic education espoused by Tsunesaburo Makiguchi in his
ideas and proposals were found to have application in the educational
challenges that Brazilian society faces today. The pragmatic focus on
90

MAKIGUCHI IN ACTION

enhancing interactions among students, teachers, directors,
supervisors, parents, and community proved effective in making the
educational processes a collaborative endeavor.
Having created and carried out Makiguchi Project in Action and
Literacy Poles programs over a number of years, the departments ofthe Educators Division have provided the following reflections:•

We are convinced that teachers’ commitment to thecontinuation of their professional learning is fundamental totheir role in the educational process. The teacher is themultiplier, the one who will implement the activities withthe students. If the teacher feels motivated he/she will
motivate others to act in a meaningful way.

•

Teachers must be the focus of all activities. Strategies andtechniques in the development of programmatic content
must be passed back to them in the form of “how-to” tools,
guidance and training. This enables them to feel secure
about the implementation of the activities in the classroom.
In so doing, more effective teaching strategies develop,
creative abilities are discovered, and there is an overall
increase in competence. The Makiguchi Project in Action
breaks down old paradigms, and sometimes teachers
experience difficulties in implementing group activities.
They need guidance in order to inspire class participation.
It is necessary to share the knowledge, results andexperiences among teachers.

•

The linear model of classroom structures in our schools
must be changed. Most corporations today emphasize an
employee’s ability to work in teams. In this sense, even thearrangement of chairs in the classroom makes a difference.
Instead of straight rows, which obstruct the students’ ability
to see, we rearranged the chairs to favor group activities.

•

Education is a crucial part in the intricate process of thedevelopment of human beings. Teachers, students andparents grow together within the collective work of theschool when they are involved emotionally with theactivities, when their affective universe has been touched.
New values linked to humanism are created, recreated or
stimulated. Each and any act of life is directed by values.
91Th e Jou rna l o f Ori en t a l Stu d ie s 10 :S pec i a l Iss u e

Because values are socio-cultural guides, it becomes
necessary for the educator to know them.
•People who cannot read lose self-esteem. The Literacy Poles
program addresses this problem in tandem with thetechnical aspects of learning to read and write. Students
who have undergone the program see themselves as
valuable individuals and cultivate the desire to be citizens
within society. Adults do not have much time to go toschool. This factor is taken into account in offering thecourse once a week usually on Saturdays and n keeping thecourse duration to forty hours per fundamental grade level.
The focus of concern is to bring out of social exclusion the
34.1% of the population described by the state asfunctionally illiterate and the adults over age 20 with lessthan four years of compulsory education.

•

Each participant of the Literacy Course needs apersonalized follow-up. The large number of students who
have undergone the literacy program makes acomprehensive follow-up difficult. It becomes necessary tocreate a structure that addresses this crucial problem in theBrazilian educational system. As Aloysio Biondi says: “TheBrazilian Ministry of Culture and Education should
mobilize the population and not rely on the NGOs as the
only alternative to fight the problems of education in Brazil”(Revista Educacão 62–63).

•

The literacy program proposed by the Literacy for Youthand Adults Division operates at low cost. The program isadministrated and managed primarily by volunteers. This
point suggests the untapped resource of potential volunteers
who can be trained and whose services a few hours a week
would be a positive contribution to education, theircommunity and Brazilian society at large.

Both Daisaku Ikeda and Autragésilo de Athayde emphasize intheir dialogue entitled “Human Rights in the 21st Century”:
Ikeda: It is regrettable that currently there still are around one
billion illiterates in the world, a proportion of one in fourindividuals of the adult population.
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MAKIGUCHI IN ACTION

Therefore, literacy is one of out most important tasks.
Athayde: We hope that in the 21st century, the development of
humanity will have the attitude to face new situations of timeand space. This is the responsibility of leaders and educators;
nevertheless, to achieve that new stage of development, we mustalso enlist the culture of the next generations.
For this reason, it becomes essential to promote actions that are
based on education. Our official and persistent commitment isfundamental as its starting point. (177)Works Cited
Revista Terceira Civilização [The Third Civilization] May 1998 Special
Edition.
Ministry of Education. Fundamental Education Secretariat. Parâmetros
Curriculares Nacionais Secretaria de Educação Fundamental–Brasília.
1997.
Ikeda, Daisaku. The New Human Revolution. vol. 4. Santa Monica: Soka
Gakkai International–USA, 1996.
Bethel, Dayle M., ed. Education for Creative Living: Ideas and Proposals of
Tsunesaburo Makiguchi. Trans. by Alfred Birnbaum. Ames: Iowa State
University Press, 1989.

Revista Presença Pedagógica. Editora Dimensão. Nov/Dec 1999.
IBGE/PNAD. Almanaque Abril (2000)— Education in Brazil. Rio de Janeiro.
April 2000.
De Athayde, Austragésilo and Daisaku Ikeda. Diálogo-Direitos Humanos no
Século X XI [Dialogue: Human Rights in the 21st Century]. Record,
2000.

Revista Educação [Journal of Education] March 2000.

93