Ensina Brazil

Context and Problem

Brazil's public education system faces many challenges, such as inequality in the quality of education and accessibility. The 2018 OECD report highlights critical issues such as the low salaries of teachers compared to other OECD countries, despite improvements in working conditions and decreasing class sizes. In 2017, the minimum salary for Brazilian teachers was approximately USD 14,000, much lower than in other Latin American countries. For example, teachers earn nearly $24,900 in Chile and $20,000 in Mexico.

Among other factors, the financial issues contribute to the difficulty of attracting, developing, and retaining skilled educators, especially in rural and marginalized areas.

Solution

Ensina Brazil addresses these systemic issues by recruiting talented young professionals into the educational sector, equipping them with leadership skills, and placing them in schools that need the most support.

Since its inception, over 98,000 applicants have been received by Ensina, and the selection process has greater competition than that of the medicine course at the University of São Paulo. The selected individuals undergo 165 hours of synchronous and asynchronous training, preparing them for effective teaching and transformative leadership. Furthermore, teachers get continued professional development to ensure they are always equipped with the necessary skills to address complex educational challenges effectively. Over 850 members, including more than 300 active participants and 557 alumni, work across various educational sectors in more than 20 Brazilian states.

Educators developed through the program work collaboratively with local community members, teachers, and school principals to enhance educational opportunities and student leadership skills.

Impact

The initiative is active in 130 schools across eight Brazilian states and impacts over 120,000 students. Moreover, 80% of the programs alumni continue to work within the educational sector, influencing policies and practices in numerous positions.

Note: further studies and data collection will have to be carried out to understand the full scope of the impact.

The Ensina Brazil program is designed to expand easily across different areas in Brazil because it can adapt to local educational challenges without needing a lot of extra resources. To ensure quality, the growth will have to be slow and incremental, and based on local circumstances. Thanks to its flexible and practical setup, this successful program can also be used in other countries that face similar educational problems. The program is built to last long because it becomes part of the local educational systems, continues to train educators, and strongly involves the community.