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Children explore the possibilities of paint in one of Objetivo’s schools.
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Key figures, Brazil
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Total population (millions, 1999): 168
Adult literacy rate (1998): 84.5%
Gross enrolment ratio* (1997):
- Primary education: 125%
- Secondary education: 62%
- Tertiary education: 15%
Students enrolled in
private primary and
secondary schools
(1997): 12.2%
* Enrolment as a percentage
of the population of official school age for each level
Sources: WorldBank,UNPD,OCDE. |
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A Brazilian chain of for-profit
schools prides itself on a national network, a pioneering use of technology and a
high pass rate
 Thirty-five years after it was founded, Objetivo has grown
into one of the most thriving educational enterprises in Brazil, with over 400 schools
located all around the country and a university. What’s the secret? Objetivo’s aim
is to see that students get through, and in this the company succeeds. Fewer than
one percent of pupils at the primary and secondary level repeat a year, far below
the national average, which stands at 21.3 percent in primary school and 40.1 percent
at the secondary level, according to Education Ministry figures.
While the share of students in the private sector is declining (10.5 percent in 1996
to 8.2 percent in 2000), Objetivo reaches close to 500,000 pupils from kindergarten
to university level. Besides its own schools (13 in São Paulo alone, where
its headquarters are located), the company has franchises in places as far apart
as Brasilia, Goiania, Manaus, Campinas and Bauru.
Objetivo’s pedagogical coordinator, Alfredo Fernandes, attributes the company’s success
to the sound reputation it has built over the years. “There’s a positive atmosphere
in our schools, we’re always open to a dialogue with students and society at large,”
he says.
What has become a national network began in 1965 as a preparatory course for the
entrance exam required by Brazilian universities. This notched up a pass rate of
almost 90 percent and its fame quickly grew. In 1970, spurred by the good state of
its finances, Objetivo founded a regular school, since university entrance coaching
was not part of the national education system. “We wanted to offer quality education
so we came up with our own activities and methods,” says Fernandes.
Objetivo grew rapidly. In 1972, its first faculties were inaugurated, and sixteen
years later, it was officially recognized as a full-fledged university (UNIP), which
today counts 53,000 students. In 1975 Objetivo set up its first kindergarten and
primary schools.
The schools accept both good pupils and those with learning difficulties. “After
much discussion, we decided to go for an open school with no streaming, where everyone
had a chance to express themselves,” says Fernandes. “This openness is the main difference
between us and other private schools.”
Ironically, Objetivo is criticized because it has no entrance exam. “Because we made
it easy for children to get into our schools and stay there, we were accused of having
purely commercial intentions,” he says. In a country with widespread poverty, Objetivo’s
fees (between $215 and $355 a month depending on the level) are certainly a sizeable
obstacle for many parents.
The high cost of tuition and the fact that the project was started by people from
outside the education world made many experts suspicious of the schools. “I’m very
much against commercializing education,” says Dermeval Saviani, professor of philosophy
and education history at the State University of Campinas. “Education is a social
need that is by nature incompatible with the private sector.”
Objetivo is a good example of this, he argues. “With the profits it makes from higher
education, it has the money to provide low-cost schooling. But this is not happening.
Because maintaining all its infrastructure calls for major investment, Objetivo ignores
the poorest people.” He says this is a common failing of all profit-making private
schools, which are only accessible to middle and upper-class children.
With an annual turnover of approximately $400 million, the company has a long tradition
of investing in technology. It had the first school in Brazil to use interactive
video for teaching, and was the first to introduce computers in the classroom. Nearly
all its schools have computer rooms, libraries and sports fields, and offer extra-curricular
activities such as judo, music and visual arts.
“This means we can escape from the routine and learn more,” says 14-year-old Bianca
Sgai Franco. As well as having it own teaching materials–textbooks, computer software
and CD-Roms–some schools are carrying out pioneer projects. Two of them are linked
to the environment: the Sea School at Angra dos Reis, near Rio de Janeiro, was founded
in 1988 and offers courses in marine life to pupils and teachers, while the Nature
School, deep in the Amazonian jungle, is run on similar lines.
Another attraction is the Talent Encouragement Programme for children with exceptional
skills. A parent or teacher can ask for a gifted child to be tested in order to take
special classes in both the social and natural sciences. “I enrolled my 11-year-old
daughter in an Objetivo school because of this programme,” says Maria Cecilia Novaes
Augusto. “Now she’s doing robotics, technology and art. It’s a very good programme.”
Tereza Cristina Matteis pays about 1,200 reales ($650) a month for the schooling
of her three sons. “It’s a forward-looking educational system that keeps very close
contact with the children’s families,” she says. Silvana Da Costa, who attended an
Objetivo school and now has three of her children there, says “it’s very open to
the parents.” Given that her husband’s job has meant living in eight of Brazil’s
states, Objetivo’s nationwide network has proved an invaluable asset.
Fernandes, the chain’s pedagogical coordinator, says the key difference between the
schools and the state system is the level of teacher training. “It’s a very serious
problem in Brazil,” he says. Which is why Objetivo offers all its teachers regular
refresher courses. “Each year we organize at least five regional meetings with teachers
from other states,” says Deborah Cristina Catarinacho, who has taught Portuguese
for the past 12 years. Quality control is also strict, with teachers around the country
required to use the course materials in exactly the same way.
“Objetivo draws you in,” says Adriana Venturi, a preschool teacher. “We’re a family
where everyone encourages each other to go forward.”
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