“ENEM, Chego Junto, Chego Bem”: Promoting the transition to higher education in public schools in the state of Ceará, Brazil

Abstract

Transition to higher education is still a very unequal process in Brazil. Generally, the proportion of students who take the National High School Exam (Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio, ENEM) is much lower in public school systems than in private schools. An important initiative to promote the transition to higher education is “ENEM, Chego Junto, Chego Bem” (ECJCB), a program created by the Ceará state government. This program factors in the diversity of obstacles preventing students from taking the exam (e.g., lack of motivation; lack of documentation for registering for ENEM; lack of means of transportation to the exam site). This study describes the process of problem acknowledgement, the ECJCB formulators’ ideas, the policy instruments used, and probable mechanisms triggered by such instruments. We draw on theories of the policy process, particularly the Advocacy Coalition Framework, and on studies about policy design. The research is based on semi-structured interviews with key actors involved in the formulation and implementation of the ECJCB. Our results indicate that formulators’ shared beliefs shaped the program – for example, the belief in students’ and public schools’ capacity and the belief that the state’s public schools should take preparation for ENEM as a central theme. Also prominent are the engagement strategies used by the school system.