THE GAPS OF FUNDEF AND THE FUNDING OF HIGH SCHOOL: ASSESSMENT OF GOVERNMENT STRATEGIES BETWEEN 1996 AND 2006

Abstract

This article analyzes high school financing strategies within the Maranhão state school system during the period of the Fund for the Maintenance and Development of Elementary Education and Valorization of Teaching (FUNDEF) policy (1996–2006). It examines the PROMED, ​​Alvorada Project, and Viva Educação programs as strategies addressing the financing, expansion, and provision of high school education in Maranhão while FUNDEF was in effect. The study employs a qualitative approach—supported by descriptive statistics—based on a review of literature and documents, including educational and financial legislation, government records, Contract No. 033/2000, and data series on enrollment and expenditures presented in the research corpus. The results indicate that FUNDEF generated an intra-federal redistribution of funds driven by elementary education enrollment figures, without incorporating high school education into the Fund's automatic distribution mechanism. In Maranhão, the expansion of high school provision relied heavily on temporary programs and projects, while the share of high school expenditures relative to elementary education fluctuated significantly. The study concludes that, although these programs helped increase educational provision and resources during certain years, they did not replace the need for a regular, sufficient, and stable financing base for this stage of basic education.