Brazil Lags in School Spending Compared to OECD Countries

Brazil invests far less in public education than most developed countries. A recent report shows Brazil spends US$3,583 per student yearly.

The average in OECD countries is US$10,949.

Since 2000, Brazil’s investment in schools has tripled. But it still falls short when compared to other nations.

South Korea, for example, increased its spending from US$3,000 to US$14,000 per student.

Portugal went from US$3,500 to US$10,000, and Australia from US$5,000 to US$12,000.

In the 2020 OECD rankings, Luxembourg led with US$26,000 per student. Switzerland followed with US$17,000.

Even the U.S., a country similar in size to Brazil, outspent it with US$15,000. Only Mexico and South Africa lagged behind Brazil.

Brazil has around 45 million students in public schools. This makes catching up with OECD nations a tall order.

Recently, Brazil has set aside 4% of its GDP for basic schooling. This is a bit more than the OECD average of 3.6%, but still not enough.

Higher Education

In higher education, Brazil nearly matches rich countries. It invests US$14,735 per university student per year.

The OECD average for this is US$14,839.

Yet, Brazil bucked global spending trends from 2019 to 2020. While OECD nations increased budgets by 2.1%, Brazil cut its own by 10.5%.

Experts say more focus is needed on basic education. Countries like Finland, Canada, and Denmark spend more per student and get better results.

Policies like full-time schooling and early childhood programs can help.

Brazil approved a US$1 billion plan to boost basic education in July. The aim is to add 3.2 million full-time students by 2026.

Brazil also made Fundeb, its main school funding source, permanent recently.

Federal contributions to Fundeb will rise from 10% to 23% in six years. This adds an extra US$20 billion for schools at the end of this period.

In 2021, Fundeb was at risk due to a new spending cap. But, after pushback, it was exempted from these limits.

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