Brazil education data shows declining performance in high school

Recent data from the 2025 Basic Education Development Index (Ideb) reveals that educational challenges in Brazil intensify as students progress through the school system. While basic education has seen its best results since the index began in 2005, there is a persistent trend where higher levels of schooling correlate with lower performance indices.

In the public school system, the initial years of elementary school achieved an Ideb score of 6.1, which dropped to 5.0 in the final years of elementary school (6th to 9th grade), and further declined to 4.3 in high school. Experts suggest these difficulties are cumulative, stemming from gaps in essential knowledge and student engagement that begin long before high school.

Data from the Basic Education Evaluation System (Saeb) highlights specific deficiencies: only 38.3% of public school students complete the 9th grade with adequate learning in Portuguese Language, and only 18.8% reach adequacy in Mathematics. Júlia Borges, executive director of Instituto Sol, emphasizes that improving high school outcomes requires strengthening the educational foundation provided in earlier years.