School Dropout in Brazil: Examining Systemic Drivers and Policy Interventions

Supervised by: Dr. Deborah Donahue-Keegan, Department of Education, Tufts University

Project Background

In Brazil, around 9 million young people between the ages of 14 and 17 have not completed school and are not currently attending, a deeply concerning reality that reflects a significant share of the country’s youth population and exposes stark disparities by gender, race, class, and income. Students are being pushed out of the system by structural vulnerabilities such as poverty, hunger, lack of support for young mothers, and a curriculum that often feels irrelevant or disconnected from their lives, revealing a systemic crisis rooted in deep social and economic inequality. The consequences are severe at both the individual and societal levels: limited job opportunities, lower income, and greater vulnerability to crime and drug use for young people, alongside broader economic losses, increased inequality, and the perpetuation of poverty cycles. Education remains one of the most powerful tools for social mobility and personal growth, and educational attainment is closely linked to a country’s economic growth, social well-being, and overall quality of life.

My Goals

Under the mentorship of Dr. Donahue-Keegan, I am interested in exploring several connected questions: Why are students leaving school before graduation? How do inequalities related to class, gender, and income shape educational opportunity and students’ ability to remain in school? What are the broader social and economic consequences of persistently high attrition rates, both for individuals and for Brazil as a whole? What measures has the government implemented to address this issue, and what role does the third sector play? Finally, to what extent have these interventions been effective?

To answer them, I will draw on Brazilian datasets reports to identify national trends and better understand how educational data is collected and interpreted currently. I also hope to engage with school administrators and educators in order to add perspectives of those working closest to the issue. Another important component of the project will involve collaborating with organizations engaged in educational advocacy and research in Brazil that are shaping national conversations around school retention and inequality.

In addition, I will review existing Brazilian scholarship on school dropout and analyze policies implemented at the local, state, and national levels to improve student retention and educational access. Through this process, I hope to evaluate the effectiveness of these policies across different regional and socioeconomic contexts in Brazil.

Impact 

I hope this project can support more evidence-based approaches to student retention, inform future educational reforms, and contribute to ongoing efforts to expand educational opportunity and reduce inequality in Brazil.