A study by the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) concluded that 2 million girls and boys between the ages of 11 and 19 in Brazil are out of school. This means that 11% of children and adolescents have not completed basic education. The data are from a survey prepared by Intelligence in Strategic Research and Consulting (Ipec), released this Thursday (14).
Among the reasons for interrupting or dropping out of studies is the need to “work outside the home”, with 48% of registered cases, and learning difficulties “due to not being able to follow the explanations or activities”, representing 30%.
In addition, 29% justify not resuming face-to-face classes and 28% because they need to take care of family members. Pregnancy, lack of transport, financial condition and lack of interest in school also appear in the research.
Among those not in school, 4% are from economic class AB, while 17% are from class DE. The rate is four times higher in the second case, which indicates that school dropout mainly affects the most vulnerable.
The survey also identified a real risk of dropping out: in the last three months, 21% of students aged between 11 and 19 thought about dropping out of school. According to the survey, “not being able to follow the explanations and activities given by teachers” is the main reason for dropping out, an answer given by 50% of respondents.
In addition to the reasons cited, the research addressed the mental health of young people, who returned to face-to-face teaching after the period of leave adopted as a safety measure during the pandemic. Providing professional assistance for psychological support and a safe space to talk about feelings are seen as a necessary measure for 80% of students.
With so much data on dropout in public education, Unicef started the campaign #VotePelaEducação, with the objective of mobilizing voters to vote for candidates who prioritize education, both for the presidency and for state governments, the Senate and the Chambers of Deputies and Legislative Assemblies. The initiative also supports the demand for concrete measures to improve education.
For the elaboration of the research, 1,100 interviews were carried out with students from 11 to 19 years of age who are in the public school system, and also with those who did not complete high school and are no longer attending school. The interviews were conducted in August 2022, and the margin of error is 3 percentage points less or more.
*under supervision of Brenda Silva
Source: CNN Brasil
