CONFERENCE ON INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION OF RELIGION FREEDOM: NATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION

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Inter-Religious Dialog to Improve Brazilian
Educationchool involvement

• CONFERENCE ON INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION OF
  RELIGION FREEDOM NATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION
• October 2008
• Brigham Young University
• Provo Utah USA
• Linda Taranto Goulart
• Ministry of Education
• Linda.goulart_at_mec.gov.br
• Familiaeducadora.blogspot.com

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The Brazilian Basic EducationalEnvironment

• There are 55,9 million students enrolled, of
  which 48,5 million are studying in 168,400 public
  schools.
• The majority face a big challenge progressing
  in a normal academic sequence from early
  childhood education until university.
• Tests applied every two years in students in
  the final grades of primary, elementary and high
  school show that a number of students are not
  able to deal with the contents required in their
  academic levels.
• It can be attributed to a set of factors such
  as teacher training and qualification, school
  management, school infrastructure, low competence
  of educational systems, students social and
  economic backgrounds and family-school
  involvement.

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Basic Education l Environment

• Promotion rates - 73
• Repetition rates - 20/
• Evasion rates - 6,9
• 3 main problems to solve access, academic
  achievement and attainment

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Gross and Net Attendance Rates Brasil 2006
Early childhood education (4-6 years old)
Gross Attendence 70.2 Net attendence -
64.8 Elementary School (7-14 years old Gross
Attendence 116,2 Net attendence -
94.8 High School (15-17 years old Gross
Attendence 82.2 Net attendence -
47.1 Higher Education (18-24 years old) Gross
Attendence 22.6 Net attendence - 12.6
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• PDE - Plan for the Development of Education
  
• Containing more than 40 programs covering all
  levels of education from early childhood to
  graduate education it aims to change the
  quality of Brazilian education by 2022
• PDE aims through education to
• A free and just society, based on solidarity,
  democracy, inclusion and respect for diversity
  reducing social and regional inequality by giving
  the opportunity to gain access to quality
  education.
• To ensure national development of education as
  a structural axis of State action (social and
  economic development)

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Questions to set up a social mobilization program

• How a plan or program could be understood and
  supported by society?
• How to mobilize and commit leaders to the
  goals proposed by the plan?
• How to articulate public administration
  concerns needs with society concerns?

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Families as the main public to mobilize
In Brazil, especially among the poorest,
families do not see their childs education as a
right but as a privilege. They do not discuss the
quality of academic achievement their child is
receiving. The Minister of Education considers
as a duty of public administration and civil
society leaders to transmit to these families the
message that the Government (Federal, State and
Municipality) has to provide high quality
education for all Brazilians. And that everybody
has a claim to this right. looking for the
support of society in a national social
mobilization program to raise the quality of
education.
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• The role of Christian Churches
• A segment invited to participate were the
  Christian Churches, recognizing the important
  role they can perform in this project.
• Human rights defense such as rights to shelter,
  health, education, information, and leisure is
  strong in the Christian churches social message
  tradition
• They have a strong commitment to justice and
  equality.
• They have a recognized authority and acceptance
  among the people.

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• The Brazilian religious field
• 70 of the population declare themselves
  catholic.
• 8 declare themselves non religious.
• 11 declare themselves evangelicals, divided
  between pentecostals and neo-pentecostals.
• 4 declare themselves evangelicals of
  traditional protestant groups.
• 7 declare themselves other religious
  denominations.

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• The Christian Churches Mobilization Plan
• CONIC National Christian Churches Council,
  which encompasses the Catholic Church and the
  traditional protestant groups,
• CLAI - Latin America Churches Council, whose
  members are the tradicional protestant groups and
  Pentecostal entities.
• They recognize that it is possible to deepen the
  dialogue among the different Christian
  denominations, throughout actions capable of
  breaking barriers and frontiers in order to
  promote dignity, human rights and duties.
• In this context education is a principal issue
  stated by the churches to embrace together in a
  common project to mobilize families and
  communities.

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• The Christian Churches Mobilization Plan
• To talk and reflect with the people of their
  churches about the main issues that promote
  improving quality education
• To emphasize the role of each one in their
  community, mobilizing friends, neighbors, social
  leaders, and community organizations, among
  others.
• To use the moments with the community to speak
  about the importance of the family in education.
  They need to show how a good education can
  influence the possibilities for a better future.
  
• To distribute pamphlets, folders etc.
  disseminating ways and examples of how families
  can be involved in their childs education.
• To propose to school principals, teachers and
  educational authorities measures and solutions to
  improve educational performance in the schools.
• To promote in their field of action, activities
  of strengthening education, such as campaigns of
  awareness, and voluntary work in community and
  schools.

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• Instruments of the Plan of Mobilization
• Pamphlets for the families containing hints
  about their responsibilities at home and with
  the school, instructing them about the importance
  of being involved in their childs education.
• A manual for mobilization agents with
  information about the Brazilian educational
  environment and education performance data, as
  well as strategies to orient their work among the
  families and the communities.
• Other documents, such as posters for outdoor
  signs, bus door, train door, videos, broadsides,
  displays, plastic bags etc., with messages
  reinforcing the importance of the society and
  the families involvement in the national effort
  to improve the quality of education.

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• Conclusion
• This plan is an example of the real possibility
  of establishing a permanent public campaign as an
  exercise of dialogue, tolerance and a way to
  overcome differences among Christian churches.
• The leaders of the mobilization project highlight
  that such colaboration involving government,
  churches and civil society working together is a
  unique and successful example.