  Higher education in Brazil  The mortarboard boom  Students and
investors are profiting from the growth of private universities
See article  Readers' comments    Yes, the mortarboards have
been booming and the students profiting, yet there is still a
crucial question here left unexamined: academic results. How,
exactly, is this greatly expanded Brazilian university
population doing, in terms of... well, the basics, let's say the
three Rs -- readin', writin', 'rithmetic? One word:
pathetically.  Instituto Paulo Montenegro has an ongoing,
decade-long study, the last installment of which they have just
published. They placed Brazilians into four groups, according to
the measured literacy and math levels of each individual. The
lower three levels go from illiterate to rudimentary to basic.
What really counts is the top level, labeled "full", which any 8
year old (or even younger child) should be able to reach: it
only requires you to read a short text and to write up a summary
of it.  But, well -- guess what? A