Regulated in 2006, the Fund for Basic Education and for Enhancing the Value of the Teaching Profession (Fundeb) represents a step further in financing Brazilian public education. By securing a considerable part of the revenues for basic education in all its modalities, the fund can contribute to the reduction of illiteracy and the universality of basic education (from elementary to middle school), among other benefits. However, the policy of securing financing by itself is not enough to mitigate all Brazilian public education issues. This article shows that there does not seem to exist a statistically significant co-relation between the amount of resources available for investment in public education and its degree of development. From a statistical exercise developed for the municipalities of the state of Rio de Janeiro, one can see that Fundeb does not ensure a larger financial allocation for the most underserviced municipalities from the education standpoint. Furthermore, although the allocation of resources is necessary, it is not enough to improve the Brazilian public education. The good use of resources from the fund is the key to success.
basic education; Fundeb; public education
