Reaching the marginalized: EFA global monitoring report, 2010; 2010

REACHING THE MARGINALIZEDLevelling the playing fieldTargeted regional support has significantly raisededucation spending in some of the poorest states.Federal transfers have increased per capita spending inCeará by 21%, rising to 55% in Maranhão. Very largefinancing gaps remain, however. Per capita spending inbetter-off states such as Espírito Santo, Acre and RioGrande do Sul, and in the city of São Paulo, greatlyexceeded spending in the eight states receivingcomplementary support in 2008 (Table 3.6; Figure 3.31).The upshot is that the states lagging furthest behind ineducation have the most limited resources for catchingup with better-performing states.Figure 3.31: Federal government redistribution leaves large gaps in BrazilState spending per pupil, including the Fundeb transfer from central government, Brazil, 2008Real per pupil2 5002 0001 5001 000Government transfersState spendingThe problems do not end with inter-state disparities.Some states, including Rio Grande do Sul and MatoGrosso do Sul, may have high average income and percapita education spending but also very large pocketsof education marginalization among children of landlessagricultural labourers and small farmers. Similarly,children living in the slums of São Paulo and Rio deJaneiro have some of the most restricted opportunitiesfor education in Brazil. Current approaches to publicfinance do not systematically address these problems.5000ParáBahiaPiauíMaranhãoAlagoasCearáPernambucoParaíbaAmazonasSource: Henriques (2009), based on data from Fundeb.See http://www.fnde.gov.br/home/index.jsp?arquivo=fundeb.html.National averageSanta CatarinaMato Grossodo SulRio Grande do SulEspírito SantoAcreSão PauloThe experience of Brazil has wider internationalrelevance. Achieving equity is hampered by the sheerscale of inequality, highlighting the limits to the scopeof redistribution through the budget and pointing to aneed for structural reforms in other areas.Source: Henriques (2009).to ‘failing’ schools, and implementing interculturaland bilingual education programmes. Manygovernments have also recognized the needto prioritize disadvantaged areas in schoolconstruction. While public spending patternscontinue to favour wealthier groups and regionsin most countries, several countries haveacknowledged that levelling the playing field ineducation requires a commitment to redistributivefinancing in favour of the marginalized.Non-government organizations have alsodemonstrated that progress is possible. They havebeen instrumental in developing and implementinginnovative strategies that reach some of themost marginalized, including street children andpastoralists. These strategies are increasingly beingintegrated into government systems. One examplehas been the development of second chanceprogrammes allowing children and youth deniedthe chance to develop literacy and numeracy skillsduring their primary school years the opportunityto develop skills for employment, gain qualificationsand re-enter the formal education system.The evidence presented in this chapterdemonstrates that ‘reaching the marginalized’does not have to be an empty rhetorical pledge.There are strategies that work – but they have tocut across the borders of traditional policy-making.More important, they have to be integrated intoa coherent policy framework that simultaneouslytackles the multiple underlying causes ofmarginalization. Setting equity-based targetscan help to focus policy and ensure that themarginalized figure more prominently in nationalplanning frameworks and poverty reductionstrategies.‘Reaching themarginalized’does not haveto be an emptyrhetorical pledge213