Brazil implements new regulations to improve distance learning quality

The Brazilian Ministry of Education issued a new regulatory framework in May 2025 to reshape how the country provides distance learning.

The decree requires educational institutions to adapt their programs by May 2027. These new rules prohibit 100% remote learning for law, psychology, nursing, dentistry, and medicine, as well as for teaching degrees. For all other subjects, institutions can no longer offer courses that are entirely remote, forcing them to include some face-to-face components.

Education officials and researchers say the move aims to ensure better student engagement and infrastructure. Liliane Constantini notes that fields like health require practical skills that a computer screen cannot provide. However, some academics worry that allowing up to 30% of a traditional course to be remote might still compromise quality if the face-to-face requirements are only minimal.

Some critics also point out that the rapid expansion of remote teaching degrees led to precarious working conditions for professors who must produce vast amounts of recorded content. Despite these regulatory shifts, distance learning remains a vital tool for social mobility in Brazil. Students in remote areas, such as the Amazon river mouth or isolated islands, use the model to access higher education and professional growth.

While the private sector holds nearly 80% of the country's remote enrollment, the government intends to monitor these changes to balance expanded access with higher educational standards.