Brasília, November 28, 2002 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The minister of Education, Paulo Renato Souza, expressed gratitude today for president Fernando Henrique Cardoso's efforts to introduce changes in the educational sector over the past eight years. In a tone of farewell, the minister used the National Order of Educational Merit awards ceremony to present a quick balance of advances obtained in the area during the Cardoso administration.

Souza said that there is not a single indicator of qualitative aspects of education that has regressed. He recognized that there are still problems that need to be solved in the sector, but he affirmed that the Brazilian educational situation would be "much worse" without the progress achieved in recent years. (DAS)