Brasília - The Ministry of Education's (MEC) Literate Brazil program plans to increase the number of students by 20% next year. "We began the month of August with 1.65 million literacy students, and in next year's budget we are already projecting a 20% increase. Therefore, in 2005 we shall have over two million literacy students in the MEC's programs, through associations with schools, non-governmental organizations, and state and municipal secretariats," affirmed Minister Tarso Genro.

Launched by the federal government in 2003, the Literate Brazil program is aimed at educational inclusion. Besides the programs funded by the MEC, other institutions, such as non-governmental organizations and society also administer literacy projects. In all, 3.2 million people attended literacy classes in 2003.

US$ 39.9 million (R$ 113.3 million) were spent in 2002 on youth and adult education. Most of these funds, US$ 35.8 million (R$ 107 million) went to the Solidary Literacy program.

The Literate Brazil program is investing US$ 56.3 million (R$ 168 million) this year in approximately three thousand Brazilian municipalities.

Agência Brasil
Translator: David Silberstein
08/19/2004