The National High School Examination (Enem) this Sunday (21) kept the tradition of the contents of recent years. The test presented students with some reflections on issues such as racism, slavery, women’s emancipation, social invisibility and prison reality in Brazil.
On this first day of the test, there were 90 multiple-choice questions, divided between languages and their technologies and human sciences and their technologies. The exam also asked students to write the “dreaded” essay, whose theme was: “Invisibility and civil registration: guaranteeing access to citizenship in Brazil”.
According to Professor Rudney Sorares, General Director of Colégio Companhia de Maria and Doctor in Portuguese Language, the theme chosen by Inep – the body responsible for applying the Enem – “shows that the independence of the public body resists, despite the news of interference”.
Also according to the expert, the Enem “required candidates the ability to identify social problems arising from the lack of social records.” “In my opinion, it is an important opportunity to reflect on the invisibility that disadvantaged and/or marginalized citizens are socially subjected to in the daily life of a country as unequal as ours.”
After a few days of political tension around the test, with accusations against the administration of Inep and reports of alleged government interference in the content, Enem 2021 did not change its historical content characteristics. The students needed, for example, to analyze excerpts from the songs “Admirável Gado Novo”, by Zé Ramalho; “General Behavior”, by Gonzaguinha; and “Sinhá”, by Chico Buarque.
“I think I did well in the essay, even though the topic is more complicated. I found geography questions easier because they are objective and address current issues. Regarding the question that mentioned Zé Ramalho’s music, I liked it because I knew the song before”, he commented to CNN student Maria Júlia Cardoso, 17, who took the test today.
In the case of Zé Ramalho’s song, students were asked to establish a relationship between an excerpt that talks about the “live of cattle” with the context in which the song was released. It is worth remembering that this composition dates from 1979, the period in which Brazil lived under the military regime.
Check out some of the topics covered in Enem 2021, according to the students who took the exam:
• female emancipation;
• slavery;
• racism;
• indigenous life;
• citizenship;
• prison reality in Brazil.
The test also addressed themes from contemporary history. There were two questions about former president Getúlio Vargas. For Claudia Zuppini Dalcorso, PhD in Education and Founding Partner Elos Educacional, “these topics discussed demonstrate a concern with a very relevant and important social agenda. I believe that, having brought up questions of this type, we can say that Inep was not influenced by extremist ideologies.”
For Gregório Grisa, professor at the Federal Institute of Rio Grande do Sul and doctor in Education, “the set of questions addressed are consistent with the history of the exam. The theme of the writing is very pertinent, as civil registration is a fundamental right. The test preserves the quality, seriousness and safety of the work of Inep’s permanent employees”.
The second day of the Enem test takes place next Sunday (28). Students will need to answer 90 multiple choice questions from Natural Sciences and Mathematics. The tests will start at 1:30 pm, but, as there will be no newsroom, they will end at 6:30 pm.
Reference: CNN Brasil
