# Enem Exam Controversies Distract From Brazil's Critical Education Crisis Public outrage over exam content obscures the urgent need for improved student literacy. - **Source:** [Folha – Poder](https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/poder) - **Published:** 2026-11-10 - **Topic:** [politics](https://brifing.si/c/politics) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/f75b989b-e336-4d16-a39e-2a34659acafe ## Exam Content Sparks Outrage A recent Enem exam question regarding the historical portrayal of women in Christian preaching triggered intense social media backlash. Critics alleged indoctrination, yet the question merely asked candidates to identify historical arguments found in a text by historian Jean Delumeau. This controversy highlights a widespread struggle with accurate reading comprehension. ## Historical Context of Preaching Historical representations of women in Christian sermons varied significantly across eras and regions. Historian Beth Allison Barr notes that medieval portrayals differed from those in the 16th and 17th centuries, which often emphasized domestic roles. Religious authority has frequently been invoked to justify specific social hierarchies throughout various historical periods. ## Misuse of Religious Texts Religious authority is often manipulated to defend convenient hierarchies, as seen in historical debates over slavery in the United States. While some used the Bible to justify oppression, others utilized it for abolition. The specific claim that women are inclined to evil contradicts core Gospel teachings regarding human equality. ## Literacy Crisis in Brazil As public debates focus on individual exam questions, the broader issue of student learning is neglected. Data from the 2025 Pisa assessment reveals that 51% of 15-year-old Brazilians fall below the basic reading level. These students struggle to identify the main idea in texts of even moderate length and complexity. ## Flaws in Exam Design Beyond ideological debates, there are legitimate concerns regarding the structure of the Enem exam. For instance, the essay prompt on the SUS system often guides students toward a predetermined answer rather than encouraging independent argumentation. Improving the quality of these evaluations is essential for fostering critical thinking among the youth. ## Empathy and Social Cooperation Educational environments that prioritize listening and perspective-taking significantly improve social cohesion. In Turkey, programs teaching children to consider classmates' viewpoints increased the number of refugee students reporting emotional support from local peers by 12 percentage points. Such pedagogical approaches are vital for building more inclusive and cooperative school communities. ## Economic Impact of Education Academic performance has long-term consequences for individual income and national economic growth. In Brazil, a one-standard-deviation increase in high school math scores correlates with 5% to 9% higher wages nine years later. Globally, similar improvements in math and science are linked to annual GDP per capita growth of 1.2% to 2%. ## Call for Policy Action Addressing the literacy crisis requires active intervention from government officials and education managers. Society must shift its focus from superficial controversies to demanding concrete recovery plans from local education departments. Prioritizing learning outcomes is the only way to ensure that future generations are prepared for the demands of the workforce. ## Sources covering this story - https://redir.folha.com.br/redir/online/poder/rss091/*https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/colunas/deborah-bizarria/2026/11/educacao-se-perde-nas-polemicas-do-enem.shtml — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._