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Over half of Brazilian undergraduates drop out to care for children

In Brazil, more than half (54.4%) of undergraduate students have had to take a leave of absence or even drop out of college to care for their children, according to a survey conducted by a working group on this issue under the Ministry of Education. At the graduate level, the figure stands at 36.4 percent. Most of the more than 7,400 participants in the study identify as mothers (86.5%) and are enrolled in undergraduate programs. At this level, the average age is 33, with most students attending in-person classes (92.8%) and studying in the evening (43.3%). Notícias relacionadas:Brazil adds political education to school curriculum.In addition, other findings help identify the predominant profile of undergraduate students: they are single (46%), black or brown (60.2%), enrolled at federal public universities (79.5%), have one child (59.6%), live in households of three people (39%), and earn up to one minimum wage (24.6%). The food security of students’ children is a concern for the working group. College dining halls play a central role, as their low prices make them accessible to students. More than half of undergraduate students with children (51.0%) and graduate students (49.3%) report that their children are not eligible for meals at such restaurants. Among those who have access, only 7.1 percent of undergraduate students and 2.9 percent of graduate students reported receiving free meals. “Access for a fee is slightly more common: 10.7 percent among undergraduate students and 9.2 percent among graduate students. An even more concerning finding is the high number of students who stated that they did not know whether their children have this right (30.3% of undergraduate students and 38.0% of graduate students), which suggests a lack of clear information from institutions and weaknesses in institutional communication,” the researchers say. The other income brackets also confirm a high degree of social vulnerability. The share of students with no income is 16.1 percent, while 14.5 percent earn up to half the minimum wage. Only 2.5 percent reported an income above 10 times the minimum wage. Other equally important data concern the support networks available to them. Personal support (family and friends) is the most frequently cited source, at 43.3 percent. For 32.9 percent, coping with daily life - which is often exhausting - is a solitary task, as they have no one to rely on for support. Among all undergraduate respondents, a small fraction - 5.9 percent - can afford to hire services for this purpose, such as nannies. Another 7.5 percent rely on public services, while less than 1 percent receive assistance through nongovernmental organizations and community projects - gaps that, according to the experts who produced the report, highlight the need for public policies to address these challenges. Among graduate students, some trends are reversed. The majority, for example, identify as white (56.1%), compared with 42.1 percent who self-identify as black or brown, 0.8 percent as indigenous, and 0.9 percent as Asian. Most respondents are married (50.6%). The survey also indicates a better economic situation among students in specialization, master’s, and doctoral programs compared with undergraduate students. The proportion of those supporting their families on up to half the minimum wage drops to 1.1 percent. More than one-third (38.9%) live on up to five minimum wages; 23.1 percent live on an amount ranging from five to ten minimum wages; and 13 percent live on more than ten minimum wages. The group with no income at all accounts for 3.3 percent, while 4.8 percent live on up to one minimum wage.