Low marks

摘要

From the inside the Unidade de Educa-cao Basica Cidade Olimpica feels more like a dungeon than a school. Slits wide enough to admit trays of food pierce the walls between the classrooms and a cavernous hallway. The pre-class clamour of children does not stop with the bell because some teachers have not turned up yet. Paula Souza, the school's director, says that 40% of the teachers are absent at least one day a week. Some resent being assigned to this primary school on the poor periphery of Sao Luis. Its performance shows it: in a national exam administered in 2005 Cidade Olimpica's scores in Portuguese and maths were below average for city, state and country.