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Doing a little better
Not everywhere is as bad as Sao Paulo, and even there you can see some signs of improvement. The state has cut the number of teaching days lost to supposed ill-health (the biggest cause of no-shows) by 60% in a year after changing the law. Reforms in the state could spread across the country if its governor, Jose Serra, becomes Brazil's next president in the 2010 election, as opinion polls suggest.
In Brazil's north-east, hardly associated with enlightened public policy, a network of schools called Procentro and run by professional managers rather than unsackable political hacks, is proving successful and expanding. In other places state governments have shown a willingness to work with the private sector to improve schools. Across the country, money follows pupils to schools and children are testedtwo of the ingredients for a market in public education.
At Moises's school in Diadema a new head teacher has instilled some discipline and classes are now a bit more orderly. Jonathan Hannay, who runs Support for Children at Risk, a local charity, and has four children in public schools in the area, says things have improved in the past year, if only because teachers and pupils now work from matching sets of teaching manuals and exercise books. Such small changes can make a difference. But, if it is ever to live up to its potential, Brazil needs to keep reforming its schools, bearing down on the teaching unions and spending more on basic education.

A. 어휘
teaching days 수업일수. now-show 결석. reform 개혁. state 州.
governor 州知事(주지사). hardly 거의...않다. associate 관계가 있다.
enlightened 문명된, 개화된. public policy 공공정책. unsackable 자를 수 없는.
political hacks 정치적 연줄로 공직에 임명된 자, 政商輩(정상배). expand 팽창하다.
willingness 기꺼이 하려는 마음. ingredient 성분, 요소. head teacher 교장.
instill 注入(주입)하다. discipline 훈련, 규율. orderly 법을 지키는, 질서정연한.
a local charity 지역 자선단체. matching 갖추어진, 준비된.
teaching manuals 교사용 지도서. exercise books 연습장.
make a difference 변화를 일으키다. live up to...에 어울리는 생활을 하다.
potential 잠재력. keep reforming 계속적으로 개혁하다.
bear down on 압박을 가하다. the teaching unions 교원 연합.

B. 구문
- The state has cut the number of . . . by 60% in a year
[주 정부는 병결로 간주(허용)되는 수업일수(결석의 가장 큰 이유)를 연간 60%로 삭감하였다. (출석으로 인정해 주는 병결일수를 60% 삭감하였다)]
- money follows pupils to schools
[돈이 학생을 따라 학교에 온다]
- if it is ever to live up to its potential
cf. BE+TO+V→의고, 소망, 예정, 의무 뜻을 나타냄.
ex. if it is to live =if it wants to live
[브라질이 자기의 잠재력에 맞게 살아가려면]