Brazil is the 12th largest economy in the world and the largest in South America. With a land mass larger than Europe, Brazil has a population of 180 million, and a range of diverse cultures and climates. Like other developing economies, the birth rate is falling and the population slowly ageing, though 41 per cent of the total population is aged under 25. British Council Brazil recently commissioned research that demonstrates Education UK has a target market of 1.5 million people of income level A / B with home Internet access. An estimated 28 per cent of these speak English.
The future focus of government expenditure on education is on improving the quality of teaching. Education expenditure is currently 4.29 per cent of GDP. Demand for higher education outstrips supply, leading to significant private sector investment in the sector. In 1985, there were 859 higher education institutions in Brazil; in 2000, this had increased to 1,180 (60 per cent of them private). In 2003, eight million students registered in state secondary education, and 1.1 million in the private sector. At tertiary education level, in 2002, just over one million students registered in the state sector, and 2.4 million in the private sector.
English is the first foreign language and is taught in all schools. English is part of the multi-discipline Brazilian university admission examination, and most social classes A and B1 study English at private language schools to supplement the school curriculum.
The major Brazilian institutions offering courses, training and study abroad programmes are members of BELTA (Brazilian Educational and Language Travel Agents Association). Founded in 1992, BELTA's members represent more than 90 per cent of the international education market in Brazil. According to a recent BELTA survey, the main factors influencing choice of study destination are: costs of fees/living; ease of obtaining a visa; and ability to work while studying. In English language teaching, Canada is the current market leader, closely followed by the UK, and then Australia. The USA has fallen far behind its former market leader position. The higher education market continues to be led by the USA and Canada, followed by the UK. There is considerable competition from France, Germany and Spain in many areas. Many of the target Brazilians hold both European and Brazilian passports.
Demand for distance education is growing to fill the supply gap in higher education and reach geographically-dispersed areas. Young Brazilians are better educated than their parents, more familiar with the English language and very keen to invest in international education, as this is highly rewarded in the labour market.
English language courses are in high demand. A 2004 study in Language Travel Magazine showed that 48 per cent of Brazilians study English in the UK for further academic study and 37 per cent for professional and career development. At both Higher and Further Education levels, there is particular interest in fields of study where courses are not offered in Brazil, such as oil and gas.
The British Council has five offices in Brazil, offering Education UK information to students and organising Education UK activities across the country, in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Curitiba and Recife.
To reach target audiences outside major cities, Brazil was one of the first countries to launch a fully-fledged version of the Education UK site in the local language, including a pioneering online information service, Live Help.
Building on extensive media coverage following the Education UK brand launch, British Council Brazil continues to raise the profile of Education UK as a favourable backdrop for the promotion of individual institutions and programmes, and the different countries and regions of the UK.
Education promotion has developed a segmented approach over the past three years, taking one sector at a time, promoting and developing the sector through awareness-raising in the media, UK and Brazilian institutional partner identification and relationship-building and academic accreditation. Activities and promotion are built up during the year towards the main education exhibition and parallel activities in October/November.
The 2003 Education UK exhibition introduced a special ELT Zone to improve contact with English language students. Parallel seminars engaged Brazilian and UK ELT specialists to promote UK expertise in language learning and teaching. Postgraduate and research programmes are the product focus for seminars at the 2004 exhibition. The seminars involve the principal Brazilian funding agency, CAPES, and go beyond the four exhibition venues to Salvador, and then Brasília for a round-up meeting with CAPES (to identify research departments and programmes in the UK for Brazilian PhD and post-PhD research placements). British Council Brazil is undertaking extensive research in the UK and Brazil to identify the priority areas for both and facilitate this process. In 2005, the exhibition was scaled down slightly and toured to a wider range of cities, including new target markets identified in cities near state capitals. The focus of the associated seminars was on further education and training.
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