On February 27, 2018, High School counselor Ms. Cristina Machado asked each of the current seniors for a copy of their ENEM scores. Many of the students were apprehensive about handing over their results, fearing that theirs wasn’t up to par. But this request might mean an immense change of tide for Our Lady of Mercy School.

 

The school’s objective has always been, admittedly, to send students abroad. Little to no attention has been given to Brazilian exams and colleges, and the Brazilian curriculum had been severely neglected, compared to the American. In spite of the school’s international orientation, a consistent majority — an average of 60.2% of students over the past five years — has chosen to attend Brazilian universities.

 

These students felt abandoned academically. Many complained that the school failed to prepare them for national exams, while parents felt underwhelmed with the school’s placings in regional rankings. Families would employ tutors to aid where students lacked. Having Portuguese lessons after school, for example, was especially common among students of the current senior class. But recently, the school has been changing its mindset with regards to preparing students for ENEM and Vestibular.

 

Hiring more qualified teachers has been a very good start. The new Chemistry teacher, Mr. Renan Micha, a published researcher, studied chemical technology at UFRJ, one of the best public universities in the country, and understands exactly what students need to learn in order to pass national exams. The new Brazilian Social Studies teacher, Mr. Rafael Silva, who lectured at well-ranked Brazilian schools with leading ENEM scores, previously participated in a preparatory course for Vestibulares. Finally, the new sophomore and senior class Portuguese teacher, Mr. Daniel Massa, is not only very adept at teaching how to write essays for national exams, but is also a former ENEM and vestibular proctor that has taken these tests multiple times and knows exactly what is required of students.

 

Offering new electives has also proven to be very effective. Bio ENEM, Organic Chemistry and Debate are academic boosts for any student planning to stay in Brazil. The first two options are geared towards the understanding of subjects that fall in almost every national exam — organic chemistry and biology — whereas the former is a great way to learn in depth about a variety of controversial topics, allowing students to develop a vast social and cultural background that comes in handy for argumentative essays common in ENEM and Vestibular. Many students who engaged in these classes have reported rising scores in national exams, with some achieving near perfect scores in these subjects.

 

According to Ms. Machado, these changes, intended to better prepare students who wish to remain in Brazil, have been happening gradually for a number of years. Certain electives, such as Current Events and PLS, were created up to five years ago to assist students with ENEM and Vestibular. Currently, better qualified and experienced teachers have been hired to teach these electives and other classes.