Topics linked to the environment, health, technology and artificial intelligence are some of the teachers’ bets for the writing test of the National High School Exam (Enem), which will be administered next Saturday (5). In addition to knowing the requirements regarding the structure of the text, students must be well informed about the main events in Brazil.
The environment axis is one of the main concerns of writing teacher Roberta Panza, from the Descomplica study platform. “It’s a very current topic and, over the last few years, the discussion about climate has been increasingly present,” she says. In this axis, topics such as global warming and climate change, environmental education and the climate, water and energy crises can be addressed.
The impacts of climate change are also among the concerns of Portuguese language and writing teacher at Mopi school Tatiana Nunes Camara. “Citizens’ awareness of how to keep the environment balanced is the starting point for minimizing negative impacts,” says Tatiana. Issues about water insecurity, deforestation and climate change are also mentioned by professor Mariana Bravo, from Ateliê da Redação.
Artificial intelligence is another topic that can be covered in the essay topic, in Professor Tatiana’s opinion, as it is a topic in vogue today. “There are segments of society that reject resources created from artificial intelligence, while there are many people who [a] they see it as a great opportunity for evolution in various sectors of society, including causing profound impacts on Brazilian education”, says the professor, also remembering the approach to digital exclusion. For Professor Roberta, Enem can bring up the topic of artificial intelligence and the changes that the resource can generate in the job market, especially for youth.
In health, issues such as obesity, sedentary lifestyle and lifestyle habits that lead to diseases may appear, adds Roberta. For Professor Mariana, the topic may address the use of “intelligence drugs” to improve the brain performance of students and workers without diagnosis, a phenomenon called “cognitive doping” or “cosmetic psychiatry”. The efficiency of vaccination, the importance of the SUS (Unified Health System), the fight against sexually transmitted infections and transplants in Brazil are topics mentioned by the writing teacher at Cursinho CPV Isabela Arraes.
Among the topics linked to education, changes in secondary education, literacy and school dropout in the context of the post-covid-19 pandemic are possible approaches, according to professor Roberta. Another possible approach is the importance of education for young people and adults. “Educational training is important, especially in a country like Brazil, where social inequalities are so latent”, says Tatiana.
Other possible topics for writing this year’s Enem are: fake news, bullying and violence in schools, public safety, police violence, combating hunger in the country and food insecurity, housing issues in Brazil, homeless people, similar work to slavery, ageism, elderly people and “solo” mothers.
Enem 2023 will be administered on the 5th and 12th of November. Test scores can be used to apply for places in public higher education, through the Unified Selection System (Sisu), for scholarships in private higher education institutions through the University for All Program (ProUni) and for financing from the Financing Fund Student (Fies).
If, on the one hand, many teachers like to work on several possible topics for writing with students, others argue that knowing the topic in advance is not so important for the student’s performance. “My advice for writing is not to worry about the topic. Whatever topic comes up, we’ll do the basics to guarantee a high grade, and if a topic comes along that he masters better, he’ll still be able to perform to guarantee a thousand grade”, says professor Carol Mendonça, from the Portuguese channel for Desperados.
According to Carol, it is important to give credibility to the arguments presented with some artistic association, statistics, research results, historical review or the speech of an expert, for example. “Always try to move from the field of opinion to the field of fact. Regardless of what you think, you will state what can be proven”, advises the teacher.
For professor Luis Junqueira, co-founder of the literacy platform Letrus, the most important thing is to follow the structure of the essay, providing a general contextualization, defining the thesis, and presenting a proposal for social intervention. According to him, the supporting texts and information on the test are enough to give the student a basis on the subject.
“If you are unsure about the topic that appeared on the test, you can translate the information in the infographic. The text will have to have a thesis, a context and an orientation for the social intervention proposal. Regardless of the topic, the structure of the essay is the same, focus on this structure”, says the teacher.
In writing the Enem, candidates must write a dissertation-argumentative text of up to 30 lines on a social, scientific, cultural or political topic, defending a point of view (an opinion regarding the proposed topic), supported by consistent arguments , structured with coherence and cohesion. A proposal for social intervention must also be prepared for the problem presented in the development of the text. This proposal must respect human rights.
