Breves reflexões sobre os desafios do ensino médio brasileiro

Abstract

High school is the stage of schooling between elementary school and college education, it lasts for at least three years and, over time, has accumulated many challenges. The first one involves the access, still restricted to a part of the population,and the permanence of students, exemplified in the high levels of dropouts. The second challenge is to define its identity, which should concurrently involve the preparation to pursue education, work and citizenship. The third challenge is presented in the low quality of education, indicated by the several assessments to which it is submitted. In this theoretical path it was possible to verify that the educational status of Brazilian youngsters comprises a mix of advancements, referring to the fact that they now spend more time at school and present better educational levels than adults, and challenges, because there are significant inequalities in access to education (by income ranges, race or color, rural and urban, and regions of the country). It was concluded, thus, that high schools in general have not been able to absorb and maintain the necessary number of students nor have been able to make the students have a significant relation to them.