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dressed, and they both gave a rather sophisticated air. He
spoke extremely good English. The hotel had made a very
special effort to make us all comfortable and welcome.
The husband passed me his business card which explained
that he was the national Brazilian higher educational
representative heading up the academic team
internationally for their university system. She, his wife, was
an author and she had written a particular children’s book
called “The old lady and the monkey” one of many she
had written previously. What was the problem? And what
was all the clandestinely atmosphere that clouded our
meeting? All was revealed when she was introduced as the
in-post Secretary of Education for the State of Alagoas
and she was not to be identified in the World Bank/Federal
Government/Local Authority/Educational System at any
cost as an author in the World Bank “Reading in
Classroom” project.
As much as it appeared to be a typically corrupt Brazilian
approach it was not in any way, and she was a delightful
woman with a distinguished husband and as things turned
out a very good infantile literature writer. I promised her
to have her work reviewed when I returned to São Paulo
as I had done with all the other authors and if she was
selected, I would see to it that her name and position were
disguised.
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