The impact of mayor leadership on education: evidence from Brazil

What are the impacts of female mayors on education? It is well known that in Brazil, like in many other countries around the globe, women are underrepresented in political posts. Understanding the impacts of this discrepancy on policy choice and redistribution across many areas of inquiry is, therefore, an important research endeavor. Extant literature shows a strong link between women and the economic development of the areas they govern, specifically that they provide public goods relevant to the needs of women constituents. However, despite the efforts to explore the impacts of gender political leaders, we still do not know what is the consequence of gender on policy outcomes. Exploring a rich dataset on Brazilian municipalities, I intend to enrich the literature on the role of female politicians on politics. I employ a regression discontinuity design using Brazilian elections and indicators on education based on the basic education development index (IDEB), education expenditures and local policies. I find that municipalities where a woman enters into power do not perform better on education and do not present more investments or policies to improve education.

Higher education in evening courses in Brazil: history, growth and public policies at the beginning of the XXI Century

There are three distinct and complementary objectives in this article in order to clarify the higher education outline in Brazil, specifically evening courses (classes are held on weekdays, generally from 7:00 pm to 10:30 pm) and thesecurrent sector policies. The first objective is to present a short historical overview on the establishment of evening courses in Brazil, including those in the higher education level, occurred on the middle of last century. The second objective is to demonstrate the growth of evening higher education in Brazil, considering that in 1998, of the 2.1 million college enrollments, 55.3% were enrolled in evening courses; in 2010, twelve years later, of the 5.4 million students enrolled, there were 63.5% enrolled in evening courses. This expansion is due to the growing need of many students who must work while attending college, to defray costs of the study as well as personal and family costs. The reality of the working student is hostile considering external factors, such as transport problems, public security and lack of legislation for flexible working hours. The third objective is to discuss current public policies to expand eveningopenings in public institutions which represent nowadays only 16.1% of the 3.4 million enrollments for evening classes, including federal (6.8%), state (7.0%) and municipal (2.3%) institutions. In the third objective it is included the discussion of programs for scholarships and tuition loans. The methodology applied was to rescue historical information on the establishment and the expansion of evening courses in Brazil, analyzing the current general Brazilian policies and the specific ones from the State of São Paulo. The research results pointed to the importance of federal programs for scholarships and tuition loans for students from private institutions such as the 1,382,484 scholarships since 2004 (PROUNI Program) and the 847,000 tuition loans since 1999 (FIES Program). Important steps have been made by the Brazilian government. Considering that there are 3,987,424 enrollments in private institutions, the effectiveness of the programs for scholarships and tuition loans is still insufficient to meet the universal benefits for the student’s needs. Evening courses became the real instrument of social inclusion for many Brazilian youths and must be expanded quantitatively and qualitatively, with aggressive public policies, including also, scholarships and tuition loans.

Association between education in EOL care and variability in EOL practice: a survey of ICU physicians

This study investigated the association between physician education in EOL and variability in EOL practice, as well as the differences between beliefs and practices regarding EOL in the ICU. Physicians from 11 ICUs at a university hospital completed a survey presenting a patient in a vegetative state with no family or advance directives. Questions addressed approaches to EOL care, as well physicians' personal, professional and EOL educational characteristics. The response rate was 89%, with 105 questionnaires analyzed. Mean age was 38 +/- A 8 years, with a mean of 14 +/- A 7 years since graduation. Physicians who did not apply do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders were less likely to have attended EOL classes than those who applied written DNR orders [0/7 vs. 31/47, OR = 0.549 (0.356-0.848), P = 0.001]. Physicians who involved nurses in the decision-making process were more likely to be ICU specialists [17/22 vs. 46/83, OR = 4.1959 (1.271-13.845), P = 0.013] than physicians who made such decisions among themselves or referred to ethical or judicial committees. Physicians who would apply "full code" had less often read about EOL [3/22 vs. 11/20, OR = 0.0939 (0.012-0.710), P = 0.012] and had less interest in discussing EOL [17/22 vs. 20/20, OR = 0.210 (0.122-0.361), P < 0.001], than physicians who would withdraw life-sustaining therapies. Forty-four percent of respondents would not do what they believed was best for their patient, with 98% of them believing a less aggressive attitude preferable. Legal concerns were the leading cause for this dichotomy. Physician education about EOL is associated with variability in EOL decisions in the ICU. Moreover, actual practice may differ from what physicians believe is best for the patient.

Risk factors for inadequate prenatal care use in the metropolitan area of Aracaju, Northeast Brazil

Abstract Background The aim of prenatal care is to promote good maternal and foetal health and to identify risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes in an attempt to promptly manage and solve them. Although high prenatal care attendance is reported in most areas in Brazil, perinatal and neonatal mortalities are disproportionally high, raising doubts about the quality and performance of the care provided. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the adequacy of prenatal care use and the risk factors involved in inadequate prenatal care utilization in the metropolitan area of Aracaju, Northeast Brazil. Methods A survey was carried out with puerperal women who delivered singleton liveborns in all four maternity hospitals of Aracaju. A total of 4552 singleton liveborns were studied. The Adequacy of Prenatal Care Utilization Index, modified according to the guidelines of the Prenatal Care and Birth Humanization Programme, was applied. Socioeconomic, demographic, biological, life style and health service factors were evaluated by multiple logistic regression. Results: Prenatal care coverage in Aracaju was high (98.3%), with a mean number of 6.24 visits. Prenatal care was considered to be adequate or intensive in 66.1% of cases, while 33.9% were considered to have inadequate usage. Age < 18 to 34 years at delivery, low maternal schooling, low family income, two or more previous deliveries, maternal smoking during pregnancy, having no partner and prenatal care obtained outside Aracaju were associated with inadequate prenatal care use. In contrast, private service attendance protected from inadequate prenatal care use. Conclusion Prenatal care coverage was high. However, a significant number of women still had inadequate prenatal care use. Socioeconomic inequalities, demographic factors and behavioural risk factors are still important factors associated with inadequate prenatal care use.

Integrating SOA into an Enterprise Architecture : a comparative analysis of alternative approaches

Enterprise Architectures have emerged as comprehensive corporate artefacts that provide structure to the plethora of conceptual views on an enterprise. The recent popularity of a service-oriented design of organizations has added service and related constructs as a new element that requires consideration within an Enterprise Architecture. This paper analyzes and compares the existing proposals for how to best integrate services into Enterprise Architectures. It uses the popular Zachman Framework as an example and differentiates the existing integration alternatives. This research can be generalized beyond service integration into an investigation onto how to possibly extend Enterprise Architectures with emerging constructs.

Educação Ambiental ajuda produtor a recuperar Matas de Galeria no Brasil Central.

2001

Educação sem instrução promove a cuia mão : um estudo sobre as relações entre o ensino médio e o mercado de trabalho em Inhambupe - BA

O presente estudo insere-se na problemática da Educação e desenvolvimento humano: escola, cidadania e mundo do trabalho. Procurou-se realizar algumas reflexões teóricas sobre as relações entre educação e trabalho e entre a inserção dos jovens na PEA – População Economicamente Ativa no contexto escolar. Analisou-se, em geral, a história da Educação no Brasil, especificamente a do Ensino Médio, as políticas educativas que promovem a educação pública no país e as contribuições desta na formação do aluno para o mercado de trabalho. O estudo foi realizado nas turmas de terceiro ano do Ensino Médio nos turnos matutino e noturno, e nas empresas geradoras de empregos. Com este estudo pretendeu-se analisar os motivos e os condicionantes presentes no processo educativo do Ensino Médio que favorecem a entrada dos alunos concluintes no mercado de trabalho, destaca-se a preocupação na obtenção de uma qualificação que favorecesse a sua entrada e permanência no processo produtivo bem como a sustentabilidade, cidadania e continuidade na formação educacional. A Metodologia utilizada é do Estudo de Caso com os métodos quantitativo e qualitativo. O estudo foi realizado utilizando-se do método qualitativo, um estudo de caso, no qual o ponto de vista das pessoas pesquisadas foi de grande importância na investigação, além de leitura da literatura especializada e a realização de entrevistas. Assim, foi possível perceber que insatisfação acompanhada da desmotivação relaciona-se com o baixo rendimento apresentado pelos alunos concluintes do Ensino Médio nas questões de conhecimento especifico por disciplinas, demonstrando que o investimento nos estudos não é objetivo para o momento, mas a busca por emprego é prioridade, pois com o salário é possível promover o sustento e, posteriormente, a continuidade nos estudos, priorizando cursos técnicos em detrimento de cursos universitários.

Arte no ensino fundamental : corpo (reidade), currículo fragmentado, polivalência e equipe multiartística

O artigo aborda questões sobre corpo(reidade), currículo (fragmentado), polivalência e equipes multiartísticas, que se articulam por meio de projetos de trabalho, no ensino da Arte no Ensino Fundamental brasileiro (5º. – 9º. anos). Entende-se a Arte-Educação como área de saber empírico-conceitual ou epistemologia da arte (Barbosa, 1998) e a possibilidade de uma Educação Estética (EE) que (trans)forme a singularidade humana e nossas relações sociais mais amplas articuladas à visada transdisciplinar nos processos de aprendizagem e promova o encontro das linguagens artísticas, mídias e referenciais epistemoestéticos (Duarte Jr., 2004). Nesse caso, a corpo(reidade), mais que um conceito, é percebida como o organismo vivo que supera polarizações e dualidades (Serres, 2004; Merleau-Ponty, 1996). Também, dados os problemas do currículo (fragmentado) e do exercício da polivalência, articula-se a ideia da atuação cultural com equipes multiartísticas através de projetos de trabalho (Hernández, 2007). Enfim, uma Educação Estética como possibilidade de ampliação cognitiva, afetiva, imaginativa, criativa e crítica.

Inovação da gestão escolar para a qualidade : o caso da educação pública municipal de Teresina - PIAUI

RESUMO: A qualidade da educação está sendo impactada pela falta de qualidade da gestão. Assim, apesar de saber-se que a qualidade da educação não está unicamente vinculada à qualidade da gestão escolar, já que o processo ensino-aprendizagem é permeado por uma grande diversidade de fatores, tais como, as práticas docentes, a presença da família e os recursos disponíveis, a gestão constitui-se em um dos fatores primordiais para a compreensão do desempenho da escola. A discussão acerca da qualidade da gestão escolar se faz necessária, portanto, no momento em que a educação brasileira clama pela sua qualidade. Acredita-se que entender os aspectos que envolvem a gestão escolar hoje existente no Brasil, mais especificamente no Piauí e mais diretamente no município de Teresina e a forma com que as escolas estão sendo efetivamente gerenciadas, poderá ajudar a compreender o fenômeno educacional e a melhoria da qualidade da formação promovida nas escolas brasileiras. Deste modo, tem-se como objetivo do estudo analisar como uma inovação da gestão escolar, de forma estratégica, aplicada nas escolas municipais de Teresina pode impactar na qualidade da Educação Básica municipal. Desta forma, o que se propõe, é estabelecer através da pesquisa de campo pontos positivos e negativos quanto ao modelo da gestão estratégica do ensino municipal, que possa ser um caminho para um modelo único de qualidade, na gestão da educação do Estado do Piauí. Concluiu-se que se faz necessário que o gestor da educação pública tenha o compromisso social de fazer da instituição que atua um espaço de transformação, para criar uma sociedade mais justa, mais humana e inclusiva, promovendo a liberdade, a autonomia e a melhoria da qualidade. ABSTRACT: The quality of education is being impacted by the lack of quality management. Thus, despite knowing that the quality of education is not solely linked to the quality of school management, as the teaching-learning process is permeated by a variety of factors, such as the teaching practices, the presence of family and available resources, the management is on a primary factor for the understanding of school performance. The discussion about the quality of school management is necessary, therefore, when it calls for the Brazilian education quality. It is believed that understanding the issues involving the school management that exists today in Brazil, specifically in Piauí and more directly in the city of Teresina and the way schools are being managed effectively, can help to understand the phenomenon and the improvement of educational quality promoted training in Brazilian schools. Thus, it has been the goal of the study to analyze how an innovation in school management, strategically applied in public schools of Teresina can impact the quality of basic education hall. Thus, what is proposed is to establish through research field positive and negative points about the model of strategic management and primary school, which can be a path to a single model of quality management education in the state of Piauí. It was concluded that it is necessary that the manager of public education has a social commitment to making the institution that operates a space of transformation, to create a fairer society, more humane and inclusive, promote freedom, autonomy and quality improvement.

A Escola e o Museu no Brasil: uma história de confirmação dos interesses da classe dominante

Este texto pretende ser uma incitação ao debate sobre algumas características da política educativo-cultural brasileira, no contexto social, político e econômico do país, e sua influência na ação educativa dos nossos museus, tomando como base algumas referências de caráter teórico, bem como a nossa vivência na área educativa dos museus, durante 14 anos, desempenhando diversos programas com professores e alunos do 1º e 2º graus, principalmente da rede oficial de ensino. As reflexões que aqui serão apresentadas não enfocarão somente os aspectos pedagógicos e metodológicos, por considerarmos que estes estão intimamente relacionados com os aspectos sociais, políticos e econômicos do país, sendo que a práxis do museu e da Escola tem contribuído, directa ou indirectamente, no sentido de confirmar a ideologia dominante. Realizaremos, pois, algumas considerações de caráter histórico1, sem o objetivo de nos aprofundarmos, mas utilizando-as como referencial para nos situarmos nos diversos períodos, vez que serão determinantes fundamentais na atuação dessas instituições. Em seguida, tentaremos situar o desempenho dos nossos museus nesse contexto, o que, a nosso ver, tem confirmado a proposta do modelo educacional estabelecido, repetindo, na maioria das vezes, as práticas pedagógicas da Escola.

A Religião na sala de aula : um debate sobre o ensino religioso para a proposição de uma área de conhecimento

O conjunto de textos apresentados nesta edição refletem um debate que vem-se realizando, em especifico no Brasil, acerca da pertinência e da importância dos estudos em torno do fato religioso e, neste caso aqui posto, de como estes estudos devem constituir-se objeto e campo disciplinar, de forma a constituir-se uma área de estudo e de ensino, com a constituição de uma disciplina formal dentro das salas de aulas das escolas, em especifico nas escolas de ensino laico, público. Nas escolas que têm sua origem em e nas instituições religiosas esta disciplina já existe, no entanto, entendemos que debates devem ser feitos acerca do seu enfoque quer metodológico, quando de conteúdos e didáticas. Estes textos são de especialistas pesquisadores, e de professores das séries iniciais do ensino fundamental e médio. Os textos foram apresentados e debatidos no I Encontro do GT Nacional de História das religiões e das Religiosidades da ANPUH: Identidades Religiosas e História; realizado na Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Paraná Brasil.O tema do Simpósio que reuniu as mesas e as comunicações se deu sob o titulo: A Religião na Sala de aula: Um debate sobre o Ensino Religioso para a proposição de uma área de conhecimento. Foram objetivos do Simpósio recolocar o debate sobre o Ensino de Religião na escola, para construir bases que sirvam de justificativa para a criação de uma área de conhecimento que se defina como ciência da religião. Refletir e analisar as práticas que ocorrem no Brasil sobre metodologias e didáticas de uma disciplina: Ensino Religioso. Discutir e propor temas e conteúdos que constituam o objeto de estudo de uma disciplina Ensino Religioso como área de conhecimento com sua pertinência e metodologia.

First molecular estimate of sex-ratio of southern right whale calves, Eubalaena australis, for Brazilian waters

The southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) was one of the most intensively hunted whales between the 17th and 20th centuries in the southern hemisphere. Recent estimates indicate that today there are around 7000 whales, representing 5 to 10% Of its original population. On the other hand, recent studies estimated that the population that migrates to the Brazilian coast grew by 14% from 1987 to 2003. However, there is no information about sex-ratio for adults or for calves in this region, which is an important parameter for understanding the biology of the species. We present here the first estimate Of calves` sex-ratio of southern right whales found along the southern Brazilian coast, one of the most important wintering grounds for the species. Sex was molecularly indentified for 21 biopsies collected from calves between 1998 and 2002, along the coast of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina States, in southern Brazil. The sex-ratio was two females for one male, however, it was not statistically different (chi(2) test, alpha = 0.05; df = 1) from the expected ratio of 1:1. This result is in accordance with the sex-ratio estimated for the species of all ages using external morphology (and behaviour in formation), (is well as for most species of baleen whales.

Gas-Phase Nucleophilic and Elimination Reactions in Simple Alkyl Nitrates

There has been increasing interest in the gas-phase reactivity of alkyl nitrates because of their well-known applications as explosives and because of then role in atmospheric and in marine processes This manuscript describes an experimental study by FT-ICR techniques of the gas-phase reactions of OH(-) and F(-) with methyl and ethyl Innate For methyl nitrate, the main reaction channel is found to be an elimination process promoted by abstraction of an a proton from the methyl group. Nucleophilic displacement of nitrate anion through an S(N)2 process at the carbon center Is also found to he an important reaction channel with methyl nitrate In ethyl nitrate, Ruination of NO(3)(-) is greatly enhanced and this is attributed to the ease of an E2-type elimination process promoted by proton abstraction at the beta position of the ethyl group. Theoretical calculations at the MP2/6-311+G(3df,2p)//MP2/6-31+G(d) level of theory ale consistent with the relative importance of the reaction channels and suggest that these reactions proceed through a double well potential The calculations also predict that nucleophilic attack by OH(-) at the nitrogen center (Sn2@N) is energetically the rueful ad pathway but experiments with (18)OH(-) showed no evidence for this channel. Single-point calculations reveal a strong preference for approach to the emboli center and may explain the lack of reactivity at the nitrogen center. Calculations were also carried out or NH(2)(-) and SH(-) to establish the reactivity pattern to provide a better understanding of environmentally relevant nitrate esters.