THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

IN BRAZIL

Brazil Day, 20 November 2013

Jens R Hentschke

Colonial Period,1500-1808(22)

Hispano-America: first universities in the 16th century:

Santo Domingo, Lima, Mexico, et al.

Brazil universities only in the 20th century Portuguese allowed for only one

university in their empire: Coimbra until 1808, no other HEI in vice-

royalty of Brazil

Rio de Janeiro as centre of the empire (1808-21)

Creation of first HEI: medical schools in Bahia and Rio

Independent Empire (1822-89) In contrast to Spanish America,

Independência characterised by continuity in change, also in HE

The Empire saw the foundation of a few autonomous (medical, Law, poly-technical) faculties, exclusive prerogative of the Crown Imperial patronato over Rome’s Church:

no Catholic HEI

Maintenance of slavery until 1888: disregard for manual/technical education

Transition from Monarchy to Republic, Late 19th c.

Brazil’s flag seems to indicate leadership of Comtean positivists in transition from monarchy to republic ‘freedom of education’ and the teaching profession, against

university; but emphasis on scientific-technical education Nationally positivists defeated by 1894, but survival of a

technocratic modernisation philosophy in Rio Grande do Sul

‘This was not the republic I had dreamed of.’

Ltn.-Colonel and Mathematician B.Constant, positivist and patriarch of the 1889 Republic

Old Republic (1889-1930) dominated by liberal-constitutionalist regional oligarchies that stressed Brazil’s

agrarian vocation and made federalism degenerate into regionalism With the Crown monopoly gone, decentralisation also in HE:

foundation of isolated faculties at individual state level, run by the Church or local elites first university foundations in 1910s and 20s failed; the only university that survived

(Universidade do Rio de Janeiro) was no more than a conglomerate of autonomous faculties

Import-Substituting Industrialisation and Modernisation of HE (1930-85)

under (semi-) authoritarian conditionsGetúlio Vargas’s Authoritarian-Corporatist Regime (1930-45)Populist democratura (1945-64)Authoritarian-Bureaucratic Regime of the Military (1964-85)

Two main actors:at national level: positivist gaúchos from Rio Grande do Sul (6 presidents and key government portfolios from 1930-79)at state level: São Paulo’s liberal-constitutionalist elites

HE during the Vargas Regime, 1930-45 Return of centralism, also in HE:

Federal government as norm-setter, rather than founder of HEI (central place for new Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences, and Letters, alongside Law and Medicine)

introduction of technical-professional education at secondary level (for the ‘less fortunate’)

Economic stronghold São Paulo deprived of political power in the Union, but pioneer in formation of a modern university: Universidade de São Paulo (1934)

follows German university model, applies US innovations, and hires top French scholars (Lévy Strauss, Monbeigh, Braudel, et al.)

for the first time unity of teaching and research in HE

From top down: faculties of Medicine, Law, and Philosophy, Sciences and Letters

Vargas Regime also oversaw:

reorganisation of the 1920 Universidade do Rio de Janeiro in Universidade do Brasil (today UFRJ), remained little integrated1946 foundation of first (Pontifical) Catholic university in Rio; today seven PUCs

HE during the Post-War Populist democratura

Expansion of HE in response to industrialisation and population explosion Student numbers more than doubled from ca. 41,000 to ca. 100,000 By 1960, Brazil had 18 state universities and 10 private, mostly Catholic, universities

Qualitatively, HE not yet comparable with developed nations dominance of (routine) teaching; unqualified staff; focus on the liberal professions, rather

than sciences and technology Exception: São Paulo’s state-based system placed emphasis on teaching and research,

required doctorates and even livre-docências (German Habilitation, or higher doctorate), and created its own research development agency FAPESP

Military Dictatorship

Combination of political repression and control over contents of teaching with widening access for the middle class and structural modernisation

demand for qualified workforce and know-how (1969-73 ‘economic miracle’)

Further expansion of HE: 1.35 million students by 1980 Number of federal universities stable (20): drive for quality Yet 60% of students trained in private institutions,

especially a new low-cost, for-profit sector (1985: 58): no interest in research nor in underdeveloped North-East

Research and PG studies not yet ingrained in many universities, but academics could get funding through federal agencies founded in 1950s (CNPq, CAPES)

Redemocratisation after 1985

Brazil’s ‘lost decade’: stagnation in HEStructural obstacles to widening participation: deficits in basic education

only by 2000 ca. 100% of 7-14-year olds enrolled in school

Economic crises following oil-price shocks: less applications to HEI

increasing competition within for-profit sector mergers in integrated faculties

Long-standing mobilisation against authoritarian decision-making and unionisation of teachers led to cult of egalitarianism: less focus on professional qualifications and merit-based promotions

Researchers and rectors, especially in São Paulo, organised for university reform: autonomy and evaluations

Chart above: Percentage of 7-14 year-olds enrolled in primary school, 1920-94

Chart below: Percentage of population enrolled at uni, 2003 (Brazil: 5%, UK: 38.2%)

Restructuring HE: Govts. Cardoso, Lula, Rousseff

Sustained improvement in basic education and teacher training: knock-on effects on secondary/tertiary sectors

expansion of HE especially in the interior of Brazil ProUni programme for underrepresented groups

Quality control of staff and teaching increase of research power; 1/3 staff to have Masters/doctoral degrees periodic accreditation of courses

Recognition, but also regulation, of teaching-only HEI still important role for both traditional and for-profit private institutions

End to obsolete corporate privileges of teachers

Emphasis on social purpose of universities and public-private partnerships

Opening towards international competition and student and staff mobility, with a focus on STEM subjects

‘Science without Borders’ Chart above: Increase of number of doctorates (black) and Masters theses (red), 1996-2011

Chart below: enrolment in HEI (in millions) in private (orange) and public sectors (black)