Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has unveiled the details of a $4bn plan to improve standards of education across the country.

The president said that failure to act in the past has meant that today Brazilians watched television programmes about young people involved in criminality and girls aged 15 to 17 working as prostitutes.

Concern about educational standards is widespread in Brazilian society, and the implementation of this plan will be watched carefully to see if it lives up to its promise.