Mark
Foreword The State of Santa Catarina is one of the most prosperous regions of Brazil and its education system is considered to be one of the best in the country. Aware that the economic and social success of the region depends largely on the education and skills of its population, the state government invited the OECD to conduct an independent review of the education system and to formulate options for immediate and longer term policies for developing its human capital. Responsibility for education in Brazil is shared between federal, state and municipal entities, and this review looks primarily at the state level functions, but also covers some federal and municipal areas as they relate to Santa Catarina’s education system.
Acronyms
Executive Summary The present general review of the education system in Santa Catarina State, Brazil, examines the whole spectrum of education and research provision, and offers policy recommendations.
Introduction This chapter gives a general introduction to key features of Santa Catarina and its society. It aims to provide a contextual framework against which to view the various features of the education system which are examined in the body of the report. The chapter highlights key information on the state’s history, economy, population and landscape. It sets out an overview of Santa Catarina’s education system. The chapter concludes with an outline of the review process and an identification of the main themes which were examined.
The Financing of Public Schooling This chapter offers an overview of the sources of funding (federal, state, local) and the distribution of budgetary burden for the education sector. It provides a description and analysis of the education funding system in the state, focusing especially on the fiscal inter-governmental relations. The review team discusses the challenges related to the financing of education, and concludes by offering policy options to assist the state government in achieving its goals.
Governance This chapter gives an overview of the structure of formal education in Santa Catarina, of the distribution of responsibilities for the system and the implementation of policies and reforms, as well as institutional arrangements for quality management. The reviewers thereby look into selected aspects of the decentralisation reform and discuss the drawbacks of fragmentation of responsibilities for the education system of Santa Catarina. The chapter also focuses on the importance of proper co-ordination between governance levels and of evidence-based policies, of building sufficient capacities on local level for monitoring and reporting on education quality, and of working with quality criteria based on outcomes and relevance.
Access and Equity including Special Education Provision This chapter looks at access and equity issues for education in Santa Catarina. It also covers the area of children at risk and those with disabilities. It covers the provision for these categories provided by the
Curriculum and Textbooks in Pre-school, Basic and Secondary Education This chapter covers the federal curriculum for all levels of education through upper secondary and the "Curricular Proposal of Santa Catarina State". It also deals with how textbooks and other learning materials are produced, approved and distributed. The chapter also list the issues involved and provides key recommendations.
Student Assessment This chapter discusses policies on grade repetition as well describing federal testing at various stages of the education system, including entry into higher education. It also contains a section on Brazil’s performance in PISA. It raises a number of issues and provides recommendations on the assessment system and learning outcomes.
Professional and Technological Education This chapter analyses the policies, trends and challenges of the overall professional and technological education (EPT) system in Santa Catarina, with reference to the federal policies and Brazil’s legislative framework that determine the scope, opportunities and constraints in which the state operates. The chapter looks into the regulatory framework and the distribution of responsibilities for EPT, analyses enrolment patterns and education provision by state and private providers, and discusses links and transitions to the labour market.
The Teaching Career and Teacher Education In the drive of Santa Catarina authorities for improved quality in education, the teaching career needs to receive priority attention. The review team discusses the profile of the teaching profession in Santa Catarina, its career structure and salary framework, the conditions of employment (including classroom environments, work practices, teacher evaluation), and looks into the quality of school leadership, teacher pre- and in-service training and professional development. The chapter concludes with recommendations for reforms to enhance the teaching career and education, such as elaborating a position paper on the teaching profession, improving its image, introducing probation periods, and reducing the number of temporary teachers.
Higher Education This chapter provides an overview of federal and state provision for higher education institutions in Santa Catarina, their academic programmes, staffing and governance. It covers issues of access and quality to higher education as well as the financing of the system and provisions for student support by the federal and state levels. In addition it contains sections on the labour market relevance of the system and policies for internationalisation for higher education to be able to compete in a global economy. It ends with a section on challenges facing the sector and offers recommendations.
Research, Development and Innovation This chapter describes the research, development and innovation activities of Santa Catarina in relation to its industrial base and capacities of its university sector. It also covers the numerous federal and state initiatives for RDI and offers recommendations on making these more focussed and sustainable.
Towards Strategic Reform Measures This chapter provides a brief reminder of the issues facing the Santa Catarina education system and recapitulates the main recommendations of the substantive chapters to promote a viable reform strategy for the State Secretariat for Education.
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