Less than 14% of children from 0 to 3 years old were in nursery school; school enrollment of women was higher than that of men; as the monthly household income increased, the percentage of children and teenagers out of school diminished; 36.2 million students from 4 to 17 years old were enrolled in public instruction institutions, while only 6.5 million were enrolled in private instruction institutions; the great majority (22.3  million) of students spent maximum of 4 daily hours in the  school; of the 32.7 million students that studied in instruction establishments that provided school lunch or another meal for free, 5.5 million did not consume it; among the reasons reported by the 15.8 million persons from 0 to 17 years old that did not attend school (including nursery) one of the most common reasons was own will or  parents will, or from the fact that they had already concluded the series or course.  Released today by the IBGE, the publication “Complementary Aspects of Education 2004”, a supplement of the National Household Sample Survey (PNAD), includes information regarding the educational situation of children and teenagers in the Country and brings, for the first time, data about the supply and consumption of the school lunch.

The data of PNAD confirm that there was a considerably improvement in the school enrollment (1) of children and teenagers in the last decade.  In 2004, there were 60.1 million persons from 0 to 17 years old in the Country and 44.3 million attended school, including nursery, while 15.8 million did not attend school.  Despite the growth in the attending of nursery school of children 0 to 3 years old in the period 2001 to 2004,  the great majority still did not attend it in this last year:  from the total of 11.5 million, only 1.5 million were in nursery school.   The results show, still, significant regional differences in school enrollment, including nursery.  The North, for example, had the major part (94.3%) of children from 0 to 3 years old not enrolled in nursery school, while the South (81.5%) and Southeast (83.8%) had the lowest results in this indicator (Table 2 of publication).

Considering the age groups from 4 to 6 years old, 7 to 14 years old and 15 to 17 years old, in which children and teenagers should be enrolled in preprimary, elementary and secondary instruction, it can be observed, that, in the three groups of age, the North had the highest percentages of persons out of school (42.1% in the group from 4 to 6 years old; 5.1% from 7 to 14 years old and 21.4% from 15 to 17 years old). In the Northeast, the group from 15 to 17 years old presented a similar result, reaching 21.1%.  On the other hand, the Southeast indicated the lowest results by persons out of school in the groups from 7 to 14 years old (1.9%) and from 15 to 17 years old (14.6%), and the Northeast, in the group from 4 to 6 years old (24.3%).

Classrooms had more women than men

In the comparison between men and women, data showed that the school enrollment of women was higher than that of men in nursery as well as in elementary and secondary school. The exceptions, nevertheless, were in the North, were there were more men than women in school in the group from 15 to 17 years old, and in the South and Southeast Regions, which had similar rates for men and women for the age group between 7 and 14 years old.

As income increased, percentage of children and teenagers out of school diminished

The survey also shows, that the school enrollment, including nursery, is directly related with the monthly household income per capita (2). Based on the results, it is possible to conclude that, as higher the level of income in households, the lower the proportion of children and teenagers out of school, including day nursery.  In the households with monthly income per capita up to ¼ minimum salary 16.8% of the children and teenagers from 4 to 17 years old did not attend school, while in those households with more than two minimum salaries, the percentage fell to 3.3%.   Among the children that had up to 3 years old, the percentages among those that did not attend nursery school were, respectively, 91.6% and 69.1% (Table 3)

By age group, the proportion of children and teenagers which were not in school in the group of monthly household income per capita up to ¼ minimum salary was 38.5% in the group from 4 to 6 years old; 5.1% from 7 to 14 years old and 27.0% from 15 to 17 years old.  In the group of two minimum salaries, the results reached, respectively, 9.6%, 0.6% and 4.8%. In the analysis by regions, this performance continued stable, although with some significant differences: in the North, for example, the results in the age group from 7 to 14 years old were greater than those of other regions in all the classes of income.

Majority of students studied in public instruction institutions

In 2004, the public instruction institutions answered for the majority (almost 84%) of the group from 0 to 17 years old in all the levels of instruction and education. The elementary level was the one with the major number of students in public instruction institutions (88.2%), followed by secondary instruction (79.5%), preprimary (72.5%) and nursery (57.1%). In the analysis by areas, nevertheless, the participation of students in the public instruction institutions changed considerably: in preprimary, for example, the highlight was the South Region, with 76.5% of children and teenagers studying in public instruction institutions; in elementary, the North (92.3%) and in secondary, the North and South (both with 83.1%)(Table 4).

Regarding the children that attended nursery school, the highlight was the percentage of those attending private instruction institutions (42.9%). In the Northeast, the percentage of children which attended nursery school in private institutions reached 50.0%, the highest among the regions.

Period of daily hours spent in school increases as increases the level of instruction

Another subject investigated by the Education Supplement of PNAD 2004 was the time of daily hours spent in school, including nursery (up to 4 hours or more than 4 hours).  According to the results, the period of daily hours spent increased as increased the category of instruction: in preprimary, 29.7% of students remained more than 4 daily hours in school; in elementary instruction, this percentage reaches 40.6% and in secondary instruction, it reaches 53.7%.  The percentage of children that remained more than 4 daily hours in nursery school was 53.1% (Table 5).

In the South, the percentage of students which spent more than four daily hours in preprimary school (29.1%) was higher than in elementary instruction (18.2%) and secondary (24.1%).  In the other regions, as it was similarly observed in the country, the time of daily hours spent in school increased according to the level of instruction. Southeast was the region which had the major percentages regarding more than 4 daily hours in preprimary, elementary and secondary instruction.  Central West although having the second major result in elementary instruction, with 46.7% of the students spending more than four daily hours in school, still had a result considerably lower than the figure observed in the Southeast  Region (68.5%).

Regarding the children which remained more than 4 daily hours in nursery school, the levels oscillated considerably: 15.5% in the North; 18.6% in the Northeast; 70.0% in the Southeast; 70.7% in the South and 67.5% in the Central West.

Percentage of students which spent more time in school was higher in private instruction institutions

Still regarding the time of daily hours spent in school, including nursery, significant differences were observed regarding the students that attended public and private institutions in all the categories of education and levels of instruction.

On a general basis, the percentage of children and teenagers which spent more than 4 daily hours in school was higher in private than in public institutions.  In private institutions, 31.6% of the students in preprimary, 56.3% in elementary instruction and 71.9% in secondary instruction spent more than 4 daily hours in school.  In public institutions, these percentages fell to 29.0%, 38.5% and 49.0%, respectively.  This performance is observed in all the regions.  The exception is preprimary in Central West, whose result in private institutions (39.5%) was lower than in public institutions (46.9%).

In opposition to the result observed in preprimary, elementary and secondary instruction, in a general way, the percentage of children which spent more than 4 daily hours in nursery school was higher in public (62.3%) than in private institutions (41.0%).  The exception was the North Region, where the indicator of public institutions (15.1%) was slightly lower than in private institutions (16.1%).

Among the 42.7 million (3) students from 4 to 17 years old, 32.7 million were studying in schools that provided free lunch

Regarding the total of students of preprimary, elementary and secondary, 76.4% attended schools which provided school lunch or another meal for free.  In public institutions, this percentage reached almost 89%, while in private institutions it did not even reach 8%.

In public instruction institutions, the percentage of students which attended school that provided school lunch or another meal for free was 93.3% in preprimary; 92.6% in elementary and 57.1% in secondary instruction. Northeast brought the lowest result of this indicator for preprimary (84.7%) and elementary (84.6%) and Central West for secondary instruction (31.6%).

In relation to nursery school, the free supply of school lunch or another meal reached 96.3% of the children in public institutions and 15.6% in private institutions.  In public institutions, the lowest percentage of children which attended nursery school with free lunch or another meal was in the Northeast (90.4%), and the highest in the Southeast and South (both with almost 99%) (Table 6).

Majority of students consumed lunch supplied by instruction institutions

Among the students that studied in instruction establishments which had school lunch or another meal for free, the proportion of those who consumed lunch was high: nursery school (97.3%), preprimary (92.3%) and elementary (83.8%).  In secondary instruction (56.5%), however, this result was not so high.  It can be observed that the public institution indicators were considerably similar to those of the total of the Country. In relation to private institutions, the lowest result came from secondary instruction (65.4%), which surpassed its correspondent in public institutions (Table 7).

Lack of money, vacancy or school transportation; search for job and helping in household activities were among the reasons which led children and teenagers to remain out of school

The PNAD 2004 investigated, also, the reasons which lead children and teenagers to not attend school.  Approximately 34% of persons from 0 to 17 years old did not attend school, including nursery due to own will or will from parents or other responsible adults, or from the fact that they had already concluded the series or course.  15.6% said that they did not go to school because there was not any school near home or because of lack of vacancy or transportation.  Another reason that kept children and teenagers from instruction establishments was helping in household activities, work or searching for work (2.7%) and lack of money for expenditures (2.5%), such as monthly school fees, school material and transportation (Table 8).

The reasons indicated for not attending school, including nursery had significant differences as a consequence of age. In the group from 15 to 17 years old, for example, the proportion of teenagers that did not attend school since they were helping in household activities, working or searching for work was 20.1%, while in those from 7 to 14 years old it fell to 5.1% and in the group with less than 7 years old it was negligible (Table 8).

On the other hand, the percentage fell as the age group increased when the reason affirmed was inexistence of school, including nursery near home, lack of vacancy or school transportation. This reason was affirmed by 5.3% from 15 to 17 years old; 14.7% from 7 to 14 years old and 17.2% under 7 years old.

In the groups from 7 to 14 years old (32.4%) and under 7 years old (32.1%), the percentages of children and teenagers that did not attend school by own will or will from parents or other responsible adults, or from the fact that they had already concluded the series or course were similar, but in the group from 15 to 17 years old this figure increased (45.6%).

In the analysis by regions, the results were different. In the group from 7 to 14 years old, the percentage of children and teenagers which reported inexistence of school, including nursery near home, lack of vacancy or school transportation as a reason for not attending school was higher in the North (20.9%) and Central West (19.0%), while the South (8.4%) had the best result. In the group with less than 7 years old, the highest result was verified in the South (21.1%) and the lowest in the North (14.2%). In the age group from 15 to 17 years old, the results by regions were lower and similar, ranging from 4.4% in the Southeast to 6.7% in the North. 

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[1] Proportion of persons of a specific age group which attends school in relation to the total persons of the same age.

[2] Household monthly income is divided by the number of members in household excluding pensioners, domestic workers or their relatives

[3] Excluding college students

* Complete tables, with regional information of supplementary surveys about the National Household Sample Survey 2004 - Additional Features of Education and Access to Some Social Programs for Income Transfer, can be found on the IBGE website (www.ibge.gov.br)