Professor Antonio Freitas, Fundação Getulio Vargas’ Provost for Education, Research and Graduate Studies, was recently invited to join the board of the Brazilian Education Academy. Freitas, who has been dedicated to education for more than 50 years, will now take part in board meetings about education, alongside other prominent figures in the field.

The Brazilian Education Academy brings together educators from across the country to discuss and reflect on subjects related to basic and higher education.

At its most recent meeting, the academy discussed the following topics of national interest:

• Basic education;
• Population aging;
• Technology, including artificial intelligence.
   

According to Freitas, basic education is essential to end poverty in Brazil and it is fundamental to understand that palliative measures will not solve the problem and merely prolong poverty. Through basic education, it is possible to equip young people with knowledge and then reach higher levels of education.

The National Curriculum was also discussed at the meeting. “The government’s problem is that it is not investing enough in public schools. So, when they try to do better and new things, they are not prepared,” Freitas argued.

Regarding higher education, he pointed out that many students arrive at university with an insufficient base of knowledge. Students with a weak basic education find it harder to get into college and the chance of getting a good job is minimal. Therefore, the underlying problem is a fragile education system, starting in early childhood.

In addition to these factors, Freitas highlighted the great contemporary challenge of education: technology. According to him, new technology is here to stay and it can aid students’ education. Anything that can be replaced by machines will be. Artificial intelligence in education offers the possibility of more personalized, flexible, inclusive and engaging learning.

There are education technology tools that offer information not just about what is being learned, but also about how learning is taking place and how students feel about it. The Brazilian Education Academy said it will discuss this issue with the Education Ministry.