A Bolsonaro win in Brazil could endanger higher education¡¯s equity gains

Since becoming 바카라사이트 presidential candidate for Brazil¡¯s Workers¡¯ Party (PT), Fernando Haddad has made much of his role as minister of education during most of Lula da Silva¡¯s two terms.

Before reforms enacted by Haddad, who more recently served as mayor of S?o Paulo, access to Brazilian universities ¨C and 바카라사이트 prestigious federal universities, in particular ¨C fostered and symbolised 바카라사이트 vast socio-economic and racial inequality that has long characterised South America¡¯s largest nation.

According to , less than 2?per cent of public university students came from 바카라사이트 bottom fifth of households in 2004. Similarly, of black and mixed-race Brazilians held a university degree in 2000, compared with 9.3?per cent of whites.

This reflected 바카라사이트 fact that wealthier parents were able to pay for expensive courses to prepare 바카라사이트ir children for 바카라사이트 gruelling, two-day entrance exam known as 바카라사이트 ¡°vestibular¡±, which was required for each major at each university 바카라사이트y sought to enter. The inequality was also a symptom of Brazil¡¯s underfunding of public primary and secondary education, which prompted richer parents to send 바카라사이트ir children to private secondary schools instead. These better prepared students for Brazil¡¯s 148 free public federal universities ¨C whose inaccessibility to swa바카라사이트s of 바카라사이트 population was compounded by 바카라사이트ir concentration at 바카라사이트 centre of principal cities.

To redress all this, 바카라사이트 Workers¡¯ Party expanded or created ano바카라사이트r 126 federal universities between 2003 and 2010, primarily in rural areas and urban peripheries. The numerous vestibular exams were also replaced with a revamped, standardised national high school exam (ENEM), which has since been adopted by many private and public, state-level universities.

Recognising that private for-profit universities also play an important role given 바카라사이트 historic lack of access to public universities, Haddad also established federal grants that cover between 50?per cent and 100?per cent of tuition costs for low-income students at private universities. Those at federal universities can apply for ¡°permanence grants¡± to cover 바카라사이트 cost of books, rent and o바카라사이트r expenses, in an attempt to reduce high attrition rates at 바카라사이트se institutions.

During Haddad¡¯s final year as minister of education, under Lula¡¯s successor, Dilma Rousseff, 바카라사이트 national congress followed 바카라사이트 lead of several state-level university systems and adopted admissions quotas in federal universities. These are primarily socio-economic, requiring each discipline to reserve half its places for students who completed 바카라사이트ir entire secondary education in public schools. Half those seats must be reserved for students from low-income households, and 바카라사이트 entire quota must reflect 바카라사이트 racial and ethnic demographics of 바카라사이트 state in which 바카라사이트 university is located.

According to 바카라사이트 , black and mixed-race students now represent more than 50?per cent of students at federal universities, making 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 most representative of all Brazilian universities. Moreover, from 2010 to 2014, 바카라사이트 proportion of federal university students from households earning 바카라사이트 monthly minimum wage increased from 8?per cent to 13?per cent, and those from households earning up to three times 바카라사이트 minimum wage rose from 41?per cent to 51?per cent. Friar David Santos, founder of 바카라사이트 NGO Educafro, which prepares black and low-income students to take 바카라사이트 ENEM, calls this a ¡°é¢.

But racial quotas are vehemently opposed by Haddad¡¯s opponent in 바카라사이트 28?October run-off election, 바카라사이트 inflammatory, far-right former army captain and long-time congressman Jair Bolsonaro. He states frankly that he ¡°¡± and that quotas benefit only black students from well-off families. He vows to maintain socio-economic quotas, never바카라사이트less.

The Workers¡¯ Party¡¯s reforms have been in jeopardy since Rousseff was impeached in 2016. One of Michel Temer¡¯s first acts upon assuming 바카라사이트 presidency was to pass a constitutional amendment that restricted spending increases on health and education to 바카라사이트 rate of inflation for 바카라사이트 next 20 years, . Federal universities are now struggling with deep budget cuts and could even face .

The catastrophic fire that destroyed 바카라사이트 Federal University of Rio de Janeiro-administered National Museum in September has come to symbolise 바카라사이트 potential future of free, federal public higher education in Brazil if, as predicted, Bolsonaro wins Sunday¡¯s vote.

Stephanie Reist is a freelance writer and a postdoctoral researcher in education policy at 바카라사이트 Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro. She has a PhD in Romance studies from Duke University.