In this project, the IPC-IG has partnered with the Municipal Secretariat of Education of Maceió (Semed), Ipea and the UNDP Country Office in Brazil and conducted an analytical research study on literacy rates in Maceió, the state capital of Alagoas, with the goal of diagnosing the city’s current educational situation and providing evidence-based policy recommendations.

Latin America and the Caribbean

Knowledge Production

Poverty Reduction Policies

Analysis, Workshops and a Final Report

The study evaluates the educational context of Maceió, estimates the potential demand for literacy and provides: an analysis aimed at understanding the potential demand; an estimation of the effective supply; an analysis of the characteristics of groups attending literacy courses; and an assessment of the additional demand for adult education and professional training courses. As a result, it provides inputs that will inform the decisions of the local government regarding the adoption of strategies aimed at improving literacy.

Under the scope of the project, the Centre’s team participated in a series of knowledge-sharing events about the state of education in Maceió, commencing with the National Council of Education, in August 2015, where they presented the preliminary results of the first stage of their research. Subsequently, the IPC-IG organised a workshop to discuss these preliminary results with professors, public policy managers and education specialists. In a further phase, the Centre presented the results of the study during a high-level meeting with Semed in March 2016, and also participated in the third edition of the ‘Back to School’ seminar in April. Both events were held in the city of Maceió.

The preliminary final report was presented to Semed in August 2016 for any outstanding comments, during an event aimed at tackling illiteracy in Maceió. The IPC-IG incorporated these comments into the final report, which was published and disseminated in December 2016.