Figure 1.--This Magic Latern slide image shows school children in Rio de Janeiro, at the time the capital of Brazil. The slide is undated, but looks to have been taken in the 1900s. The children are dressed much like children in Spain and Portugal at the time. Note the lack of racil diversity.

Brazil is very important in any assessment of Latin America. It is half of South America in area and population. Thus the country is a major part of education in the region. We know very little about Brazilian education at this time. Pre-school education (Educação Infantil) is entirely optional. Nursing school is for children up to age 3 years old and kindergarten for children from 4 to 6 years old. Primary and lower secondary education, Ensino Fundamental (Fundamental Education) is free and compulsory for children between the ages of 6-14 years of age. The state systems has been woefully underfunded. Many parents are disatisfied with the quality of the states schools. There is an active private sector. The country's recent economic success may enable the country to improve the state system. Brazilian private schools generally require uniforms, but reflecting the warm climate they are generally simple uniforms with "T" shirts or polo shirts with the school logo and short pants in the school colors. Schools in the southern part of the country might have seasonal uniforms with long pants during the winter. Secondary schools might have long pants or joggers in the school colors. We see a Magic Latern slide of the Igassu School. It is undated, but looks like the 1930s. Unfortunately that is all we know about the school. Igassu is an altertive spelling Iguazú / Iguaçu, a city in the Brazilian state of Paraná. It is best known as the base for visiting famed Iguaçu Falls, one of the world's largest waterfalls. This seems to be the location in southern Brazil near the Argentune border. We see the boys furing what looks like a break. The scgool is a boys school with a kinf of white cap and front-buttoning smock uniform. We note the Escola Paroquial São José, a parish school in Blumenau, Santa Catarina about 1930. We have a little information about individual schools. A reader mentions the Seminário Imaculada Conceição (Immaculate Conception Seminary) in Paranavaí, Paraná during 1968. It was a minor seminary of the Carmelite friars. Hopefully other Brazilian readers will provide some infirmation on their schools.

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