While in Sao Paulo, I took the opportunity to visit a close college friend whom I had not seen in 23 years – Lark Meadows D’Aurio. Lark had married a wonderful Brazilian man, Julio, in 1984 and had moved to Brazil where they have lived ever since. They have two terrific sons, Tiago (15) and Giorgio (13).
The D’Aurios live about 90 minutes to the northwest of Sao Paulo in a gorgeous town called Vinhedo. This city spreads over lush green rolling hills, punctuated by plowed fields of rich deep orange soil. Vineyards, farms and forests are in every direction as far as the eye can see.
Julio has his own telecommunications company in Sao Paulo (and commutes there several times a week) and Lark is a teacher at the local international schools – with students of every nationality in her classes.
It was a pleasure to spend time in her classroom meeting children from Spain, Korea, Argentina, Japan, the US and of course Brazil. The international school is very expensive and not representative of Brazilian education, so I asked Lark -- as well as Julio – to share their observations of the Brazilian public education system.
Indian and Asian education IT IS NOT. Though Thomas Friedman has anointed Brazil as one of the important rising economies of the 21st century – their success will be propelled by natural resources (minerals, oil and agriculture), not by a well-educated highly motivated, entrepreneurial population.
My tour guides, drivers and others throughout my Brazilian travel, consistently echoed the D’Aurio’s views on the public education system:
1- Brazil’s primary and secondary public schools are terrible – the teachers are poorly paid, the students are not motivated, the facilities are dilapidated.
2- Teacher’s Unions dominate the education agenda – and they are not interested in raising standards, holding teachers accountable or lengthening the already too short school day and school year.
3- Teachers’ strikes are frequent enough and forceful enough to daunt even the most determined reformers.
4- As a people, Brazilians are more outdoor-oriented, not really a culture of readers and are less motivated by long term planning. Of course, with the Brazilian government's historical corruption and incompetence, long term thinking doesn't work very well.
5- English – the international language of business – is NOT taught in Brazilian schools; only Portuguese. In India and Vietnam, where English is taught early and rigorously, I could have basic conversations with kids in the countryside as well as the city. In Brazil, I found rudimentary communication very difficult, resorting mostly to sign language.
Needless to say, I won’t be starting “Brazilian Math Online” anytime soon. (see www.indianmathonline.com for contrast). But I would return to Brazil -- the land is gorgeous, the people are friendly and delightful.
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