The Ministry of Education (MEC) released this Wednesday (31) a survey that points out that 56.4% of children finished the 2nd year of elementary school in 2021 illiterate. The amount is higher than in the previous year, when 39.7% of students completed the period without basic reading and writing conditions.
The Minister of Education, Camilo Santana, stated that the problem substantially compromises basic education.
“It is sad to see that practically 60% of our children have not learned to read and write at the right age. And we know, for evidence, that this compromises the entire evolutionary cycle of the subsequent series of basic education in our country”, said the minister.
The data collection and analysis work was supported by the National Institute of Educational Studies and Research (INEP). In all, 251 teachers were interviewed in 206 municipalities across Brazil, between April and May 2021.
The research aimed to understand what is the expected literacy level of a child at the end of the 2nd year of elementary school, an essential stage for school development. From the survey it is possible to establish a national literacy policy.
The MEC classifies as literate the child who, at the end of the 2nd year of fundamental, manages to:
- read small texts, formed by short periods and locate information on the textual surface;
- produce basic inferences based on the articulation between verbal and non-verbal text, such as comic strips and comics;
- write texts that circulate in everyday life for simple communication purposes, such as invitations and reminders, even with spelling deviations.
The research defines that children at this stage should be beginner readers and writers, but with the ability to interact more autonomously, especially with texts that circulate in the context of everyday life and literary practices.
The minister of education reiterated, during the event, that literacy is one of the priorities of the federal government, and that it will launch a “national pact for literacy” soon. Santana stated that he will discuss the matter with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT).
Source: CNN Brasil
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