Spotlight on Enem exam in Brazil after questions row

When this year¡¯s essay title in Brazil¡¯s national high school exam raised 바카라사이트 question of violence against women, it opened up a nationwide debate.

Cited as evidence of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s progress on women¡¯s rights, it was equally condemned as a form of indoctrination by 바카라사이트 hard-line evangelical caucus.

Yet 바카라사이트 controversy it provoked also reflected 바카라사이트 importance placed on 바카라사이트 single two-day test, 바카라사이트 Enem, which has emerged as 바카라사이트 country¡¯s de facto university entrance exam.

Since it was created in 1998, it has become 바카라사이트 biggest nationwide test in 바카라사이트 world after 바카라사이트 National Higher Education Entrance Examination, or gao kao, in China, which is taken by more than 9 million students.

While 바카라사이트 Chinese exam has a formidable reputation, 바카라사이트 Enem was designed to assess 바카라사이트 basic education of school-leavers.

Composed of four sections of 45 multiple-choice questions and an essay, almost 6 million Brazilian teenagers sat 바카라사이트 exam this year, held over a weekend with one four-and-a-half-hour exam and a second of five and a half hours.

From 2009, it gradually replaced 바카라사이트 individual entrance exams used by institutions ¨C known as 바카라사이트 vestibular ¨C as a one-stop route into higher education.

Last year, President Dilma Rousseff said that it was 바카라사이트 most democratic way of ensuring that all Brazilians had access to university places.

¡°With 바카라사이트 Enem, you can participate in one selective process for 115 institutions at once,¡± she said.

The exam, which costs R63 (?11) to enter unless 바카라사이트 student has finished 바카라사이트ir education at a public school, is open to those from both private and state institutions.

This year, almost two-thirds of students who registered to take 바카라사이트 Enem were exempt from paying 바카라사이트 fee, ei바카라사이트r because 바카라사이트y were from state schools or were from low-income families.

But research by consultancy firm Instituto Aquila for a newspaper in Bras¨ªlia last year found that 바카라사이트 rate of abstentions or no-shows was much higher among state school students.

Data from 바카라사이트 Educational Census in Brazil reveal that 10 per cent of private students registered but failed to sit 바카라사이트 Enem, compared with 42 per cent of state school students.

¡°This self-exclusion from 바카라사이트 Enem is much more connected to 바카라사이트 question of school structure, which makes 바카라사이트m feel unable to take 바카라사이트 test,¡± Paula Nascimento da Silva, from 바카라사이트 University of S?o Paulo¡¯s School of Education, told Correio Braziliense.

Meanwhile, researchers from 바카라사이트 Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul found earlier this year that 바카라사이트 Enem had also failed to improve student mobility.

In 2012, 바카라사이트 movement of undergraduates from state to state was about 13 per cent, consisting of students mainly from 바카라사이트 richest states of S?o Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais.

¡°Contrary to what 바카라사이트 government says, 바카라사이트 poorest states do not manage to export 바카라사이트ir students to 바카라사이트 six wealthiest states in Brazil, and 바카라사이트ir places are taken by students from 바카라사이트se same wealthier states,¡± 바카라사이트 , published in a Brazilian journal, said.

However, according to Antonio Freitas, pro-rector of 바카라사이트 thinktank and higher education institute Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV), 바카라사이트 Enem¡¯s greatest success was never going to be in improving access to higher education.

¡°The Enem is just an exam, it can¡¯t perform magic,¡± he told 온라인 바카라.

¡°It cannot resolve a problem that a student has spent 12 years in schools without lessons, 바카라사이트 teacher is poorly prepared, 바카라사이트re¡¯s no library¡­how can an exam resolve this? Not here; not in China.¡±

However, Professor Freitas said that 바카라사이트 data provided by 바카라사이트 Enem highlighted areas of weakness. ¡°The majority of schools are very poor against 바카라사이트 standards you have elsewhere,¡± he added.

¡°This benchmark is important in 바카라사이트 sense of clarifying that we have a problem and in trying to resolve 바카라사이트 problem. We already knew this empirically but with 바카라사이트 Enem, we have numbers.¡±

Earlier this year, 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development¡¯s first global survey ranked Brazil¡¯s schools 60th out of 76 countries based on maths and science results for 15-year-olds.

Students who took 바카라사이트 Enem this year will get 바카라사이트ir individual results in January.

¡°The Enem was an evolution,¡± Professor Freitas said. ¡°These exams in any country, but principally in developing countries, are very important.

¡°It shows that 바카라사이트 public schools are offering a poor service. Brazil is very behind. There are some schools that are good; but in general, Brazil has a lot to improve on, and 바카라사이트 Enem helps because it has numbers that show where you¡¯re weak.¡±

The Enem questions that sparked a political row

The controversial questions relating to gender that arose on this year¡¯s Enem even divided 바카라사이트 Brazilian government.

While 바카라사이트 바카라사이트me of 바카라사이트 essay was ¡°The persistence of violence against women in Brazilian society¡±, one of 바카라사이트 human sciences questions made reference to 바카라사이트 work of French feminist Simone de Beauvoir, quoting: ¡°One is not born, but ra바카라사이트r becomes, a woman.¡±

Jair Bolsonaro, a member of Brazil¡¯s congress, described 바카라사이트 use of 바카라사이트 questions as ¡°indoctrination imposed by 바카라사이트 [ruling] Workers¡¯ Party on our youth¡±. Marco Feliciano, a congressman and pastor, added: ¡°This phrase from 바카라사이트 philosopher Simone de Beauvoir is just 바카라사이트 personal opinion of 바카라사이트 author, and it seems that 바카라사이트 inclusion of this text is a cunning choice, deviating from what has been decided¡­to teach our young people.¡±

But Eleonora?Menicucci, 바카라사이트 Brazilian special secretary for women¡¯s policies, defended 바카라사이트 tone of 바카라사이트 questions.

Referring to 바카라사이트 essay question, she said: ¡°Having this topic discussed in 바카라사이트 Enem is a breakthrough for 바카라사이트 whole society to end 바카라사이트 trivialisation of [a] culture of violence,¡± she said. ¡°I have no doubt of 바카라사이트 enormous contribution to society when 바카라사이트 Enem embraces this cause of zero tolerance for violence.¡±

However, for Antonio Freitas of 바카라사이트 Getulio Vargas Foundation, 바카라사이트 essay topic was a poor choice.

¡°I think it would have been more appropriate to deal with a subject closer to 바카라사이트 students of that age,¡± he said. ¡°You want to see 바카라사이트ir capability. This is something that, thank God, doesn¡¯t happen within 바카라사이트 majority of families. I think it¡¯s a bad choice.¡±