Quality education is one of the most important structural challenges in Brazil. The educational context analysis has shown, in recent decades, challenges regarding access to public schools, the retention of students throughout their school career, and learning during basic education. The Covid-19 pandemic worsened this challenging scenario even more: 5 million students stopped going to school or lost access to school activities. The data is part of a 2021 survey by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), which also revealed the low school attendance and the high failure rate.

Quality education is one of Brazil's most important structural challenges. In recent decades, analysis of the educational context has revealed difficulties in terms of access to public schools, the permanence of students throughout their school career, and learning during basic education.

The Basic Education Development Index (IDEB), created in 2007 by the Anísio Teixeira National Institute for Educational Studies and Research (INEP for its initials in Portugues), was designed to measure the quality of learning nationwide and set targets for improving basic education. The Ideb is a national reference indicator that makes it possible to monitor the quality of education and is calculated every two years based on two components: the school performance rate (pass rate) and the performance averages (proficiency in Portuguese and Mathematics) in the exams administered by Inep.

Suzano believes that to eradicate poverty, it is necessary to intervene structurally in education. For children and young people to continue studying, they need opportunities that generate an increase in family income. In this sense, the company seeks to be part of the solution to this challenge and invests in improving the quality of public education through the Suzano Education Program (PSE in Portuguese).

PSE aims to provide students with comprehensive education at different stages of life, taking into account intellectual, physical, emotional, cultural and social aspects. To this end, it works on the professional qualification of public school managers and educators, on coordination between sectors (education, health and social assistance) and on encouraging families and communities to participate more in school life¹.

The methodology is based on an educational diagnosis and the prioritization of common challenges faced by groups of municipalities that are part of the Education Development Arrangements (EDAs) and which, together, build solutions to improve education in the territory.

Ideb increase in the municipalities identified as priorities² through the Suzano Education Program. The municipalities considered as priorities are those participating in the Suzano Education Program, which 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 4.6³ to 6.6 by 2030.

The Ideb, a biennial index, is used as a benchmark to assess the progress of Suzano's commitment to improving the quality of education. In the first measurement carried out since the Commitment was created, in 2021, the index reached 4.7. The new test was administered in November 2023, and the federal government is scheduled to release it in September 2024⁴.

Among the actions carried out through the PSE - through which the company invests in improving the quality of public education - in 2023, the following stand out: 1. consolidation of the Strategic Planning for the five EDAs⁵; 2. advances in the governance of the EDAs in Maranhão, Espírito Santo, Bahia and Mato Grosso do Sul; 3. formation of intersectoral groups in the 24 municipalities of the PSE; 4. expanding the repertoire of school managers through continuing training; and 5. consolidating good educational management practices. The PSE covers 646 schools and 128,812 students, involves 1,537 direct participants⁶, and benefits 136,678 people⁷, promoting systemic action for the all-round development of students.
 

In 2024, the Suzano Education Program will continue to implement activities in the territories, concentrating on the challenges prioritized by the Arrangements. The focus will be on strengthening governance and supporting educational managers, schools and protection network agents in carrying out the collaborative actions outlined in the Strategic Plan. Actions include strengthening inter-municipal collaboration for educational development, consolidating educational management processes, strengthening protection networks and implementing public policies, evaluating impact based on IDEB and holding an education hub to boost partnerships in favor of improving the quality of education.