BRASILIA, July 1 (Xinhua) -- A report released on Thursday indicates an improvement in Brazil's basic and secondary public education.
The Index of Basic Education Development (IDEB) for the lower grades of schooling rose from 4.2 points in 2007 to 4.6 in 2009, surpassing last year's target by 0.4 points, according to the report by the Ministry of Education
The indicator was created in 2005 and serves as a barometer for the quality of education, ranging from zero to ten, and is calculated every two years, with specific indicators for the higher grades of elementary school and high school.
In higher grades of the elementary school(6th to 9th grades), the indicator rose from 3.8 in 2007 to 4.0 in 2009, when the target was 3.7. In high school, however, growth was lower: the IDEB increased from 3.5 in 2007 to 3.6 in 2009, also reaching the goal of 3.5 points.
The IDEB results from the grades of students in a comprehensive review called Test Brazil and the rates of approval, failure and abandonment. The government's goal is that the Brazilian education will reach similar levels to those of developed countries by 2022.
