# **Box 3.1:  Evidence on Education from School Visits in the Northeast**

Physically, most schools are in good condition in the Northeast.<sup>9</sup> The states have invested a lot in schools and most are attractive and clean, with the necessary space for materials and assemblies. The Northeast has fulfilled the prerequisite of having an attractive and physical environment that is conducive to learning. Textbooks and instructional materials were present in most, but not all, schools. The large schools had books and audiovisual equipment, but some rural schools did not have enough. There have been some innovative measures to improve learning. These include accelerated classes and adult literacy for parents. However, they do not exist in most schools, and many students and parents who could benefit do not have access to them. Teachers and principals have received much training, and most teachers are qualified to teach. The teachers in the schools visited were dedicated, well-meaning, and diligent in their duties, as they understood them. They had planned their lessons, and they had spent time writing material on the board. However, in the schools observed, the teachers still do not use class time efficiently, and learning is quite deficient.

The following problems were observed in schools: (1) larger periurban schools had many audiovisual materials that are underused; (2) much of the class time in the schools visited was spent copying from the blackboard; (3) books are generally available, but they were not used when there was clearly a need (for example to read and discuss a text rather than copy it.); (4) possibly as a result of these practices, students cover little material in classes; (5) many classes of even good schools stop 5 to 10 minutes before the break; (6) teachers were often engaged with one or two students, while the others were unoccupied and running around, and (7) children in 4<sup>th</sup> grade cannot read. International research shows that once students fall behind in grade 1, they may not catch up and that boys are particularly vulnerable to low-quality instruction<sup>10</sup> . Research also shows that class size does not make a difference, but the teacher’s general education does, and that the home environment accounts for only 10 percent of reading achievement variance. The other 90 percent is due to poor instruction, which the government can help improve. The policy recommendation here is to undertake a statewide campaign to economize time, with slogans such as “make every minute count.” One of its objectives could be to enable nearly all <u>students to read fluently by the end of grade 1.</u> _Source:_ World Bank school visits in the Northeast, February 2002.

# **3.3  Educational Financing, Policies, and Programs**

The progress made in recent decades has been due to increased resources devoted to education, increased priority placed towards primary education, increased responsibility given to municipalities for education delivery, and by a number of federally-funded programs. At present, about half the public funding for education is provided by the state, about 30 percent by municipalities, and the balance 20 percent by the federal government, usually through programs implemented by municipalities.

Brazil has a complex system of allocating public funds to education. The Constitution requires that the federal government spend at least 18 percent of its tax revenues on education and that the states spend at least 25 percent of their tax revenues, including the proceeds from intergovernmental transfers. Of these resources, 60 percent must go exclusively to primary education. In addition, the Constitution provides for earmarking of

> 9 These conclusions were based on schools visits in Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará, and Bahia. 10 Fuller, Dellagnelo, and Strath 1999.

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