To build the future we want, we understand that it will be necessary to invest in high-quality education, one of the most important challenges in Brazil. Analyses of the educational context have shown that in recent decades there has been difficulty in accessing public schools, students remaining in school throughout their schooling, and learning during basic education. Through the Suzano Education Program, we invest in improving the quality of public education through the professional development of educators and the engagement and participation¹ of families and communities with a focus on student learning.

The Basic Education Development Index (IDEB) was formulated to measure the quality of national learning and to establish goals for the improvement of education, and is composed of two factors: the average proficiency in Portuguese language and mathematics, and an indicator of the average time for completion of each stage of education, relative to the ideal time. Therefore, IDEB is a reference for measuring the quality of basic education in Brazil and we chose this indicator to measure our goal.

Increase in the Basic Education Development Index (IDEB) in municipalities identified as priorities² through the Suzano Education Program. The priority municipalities to be considered are those participating in the Suzano Education Program that presented in 2019 (last available evaluation) an Index below the national target (IDEB below 6.0).

Increase by 40% the IDEB in all municipalities considered a priority - from 4.7 to 6.6 by 2030³ ⁴.

We implemented the Suzano Education Program (SEP) in 27 of the 31 municipalities mapped as priorities in the scope of the commitment. We defined the baseline of the goal with the IDEB scores for 2019 and applied the 1st annual evaluation of the program to measure the success of the implementation of the planned actions.  

Besides the priority municipalities for the goal, we applied the SEP in other municipalities where we operate, ending the year with 36 municipalities served⁵ ⁶, which generated a direct⁷ positive impact for 3,766 education professionals, and 312,339 students and education professionals indirectly⁸ benefited.  

IDEB is evaluated every two years. At the end of 2021, the test of the System for the Evaluation of Basic Education (SAEB) was applied. Thus, we are waiting for the results to be released to measure the indicator.

In 2022, we will continue with the implementation of the methodology of the Suzano Education Program in the municipalities that are considered a priority, working on strategies to improve student learning and strengthening educational development arrangements and the completion of teacher training.