This article is the result of a research about high school and higher education in Brazil. It discusses the process of education in secondary education and the training of students in order to take entrance examinations to higher education. This paper also describes and analyzes the public policies for the democratization of access to university education, including public education offered through federal, state and municipal levels, with attention to results compared with private institutions. The new challenges faced by public education, including the main mechanisms of access and the current educational legislation, are also observed. Based on official data sources, the public investment in education is studied, as well as the educational goals established and the differentiation between teaching in public and private schools, which is assessed by national evaluations. Key actions for valuing and improving secondary education and higher education are identified, such as the investment in teacher training, the incentive to students and the strengthening of education.
higher education; high school; educational policies