Preparations are being made for the Sixth International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VI): ‘Living and learning for a viable future - the power of adult learning’, to be held in Brazil in 2009. As part of these preparations, member states are requested to prepare a national report on the developments in adult learning and education since 1997 (CONFINTEA V), on the current state of the art and future challenges of adult learning and education. These reports will constitute a major input for the Brazil conference, help to prepare a regional synthesis for the regional preparatory conferences and supply critical data for a Global Report on Adult Learning and Education (GRALE).
In spite of Brazil having the eighth largest economy in the world, the extreme inequality in income which still typifies the country means that problems of social exclusion running alongside economic growth continue to exist. Brazil has also made significant progress in some educational indicators although it has arrived in the 21st century with marked deficits that still have to be overcome: in 2006, 14.4 million Brazilians aged 15 years and over were illiterate. Even though illiteracy rates in all regions of the country have fallen, there is nevertheless much variation between them. As well, in terms of gender, younger women have managed to reverse the pattern that existed previously, that is, a higher level of education for men. However, this change in the educational profile of younger women is not reflected in access to a better situation in the workplace. In spite of the progress made, the defects in the Brazilian school system are still producing large numbers of people with insufficient levels of education, a situation that predicts the need to build an education system which will improve the quality of teaching offered at all levels, including youth and adult education (YAE) and to develop government policies aimed at overcoming educational and social inequalities. Brazil needs a high-quality school education system that is clearly directed towards promoting social justice, employability, sustainable development and social solidarity allied to public policies providing access to knowledge and lifelong learning aimed at the less-privileged groups in society. A program is being developed that targets young people and adults in custody: for the first time in Brazilian history the right to education for prisoners is affirmed. In relation to vocational education, it is intended during this period, to triple every five years the provision of basic courses aimed especially at the unemployed, in addition to permanent vocational training courses for all the economically active population. Through its equalising function YAE should it seek to generate equal opportunities for all citizens who, at the end of the period of compulsory schooling, wish to carry on learning and raising their level of education in line with modern demands of the labour market or other motives which may be individual or social.
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