In the current TUM São Paulo Insights series, TUM Liaison Officer Sören Metz addresses the various aspects and projects regarding digitization in Latin America. Part one deals with school education and digital programs using the example of Brazil.
Latin America has been in the digital age not only since the Covid-19 pandemic arrived, and developed its digital strategies continuously despite the, sometimes difficult, circumstances. In comparison to Germany, public administrations have largely switched to digital correspondence. In Brazil, for example, it has been possible to file tax returns using an online form on a computer since 1999. Since 2006, this has also been possible using a tablet or smartphone.
When thinking of Latin America, the differences in society are also reflected in the different schools and school education: On the one hand, Brazilian private schools perform better than Finland in the PISA survey; on the other hand, public schools in Brazil, together with Peru, report the lowest student performance measured by PISA in the region. The digitalization of schools in Latin America also shows this characteristic, huge spectrum of differences.
Platforms for digital teaching on state and federal level
Since the beginning of the quarantine triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic in São Paulo in mid-March, the TUM partner schools in São Paulo – the private German schools Colégio Visconde Porto Seguro and the Colégio Humboldt – have switched all of their school teaching to online classes and are currently digitally accompanying their students through the school year. In fact, unlike in Germany, it is not yet clear when face-to-face classes can be resumed.
The public schools in Brazil also switched quickly to new formats – several states have developed their own online school platforms. For example, the state of Minas Gerais, which has developed its own Android app for teaching at the state schools. The Brazilian Ministry of Education also provides help on its own platform for implementing digital teaching and, together with Brazilian universities, provides teaching units developed for school use.
Internet access challenges
One of the biggest challenges when switching to digital teaching is access to this digital media – in Brazil, for example, only around 75% of the population is connected to the Internet – especially the country’s urban centers are well connected. The territorial expansion of the region and the sometimes difficult connection to wired internet in rural or underdeveloped, partially isolated areas of the country, represent a particular challenge.
Residents with internet access usually use a smartphone or tablet. The state of São Paulo has addressed this tendency and has developed a platform that runs on smartphones. The data package of the respective users is paid by the state. In addition to teaching via the app, the lessons are also broadcasted on public television.
Digital solutions by the innovation ecosystem
School education is also a major factor in the innovation ecosystem in Latin America. The start-ups that operate in the so-called EdTech area – who want to enrich the learning and teaching area with digital means and make them more effective – play an increasingly important role in the ecosystem. Private foundations, especially Fundação Lehmann, also invest in this area.
This market offers interesting opportunities also for TUM start-ups – both in terms of internet expansion in rural or underdeveloped areas and in terms of digital solutions for education.
If you are interested, please contact the TUM Liaison Officer Sören Metz in São Paulo directly and consider together in which area and how you can work with the region or how you would like to cooperate with the TUM, if you are planning to implement a project in the region. We look forward to your ideas and contact requests.