7th grade shop class (ca. 1978) we were using drills, jigsaws, soldering irons, etc. We weren't allow to use the table saw but hand-held power tools were fine.
I don't think they even have shop in middle schools anymore.
Re:Fake IDs in the age of the internet
by ameister14 on Thursday May 04, 2017 @10:42AM
(#14265158)
We were doing the same, if you add in forging metal, in 2000-2001, so I doubt it's changed much.
There I learned a lot of metal working including welding and operating lathes. Spent 3 years there and ended up as a certified maintenance electrician for diesel-electric locomotives (never worked in railroads after that but several skills were useful both at professional and hobby situations).
Now the laws are more aligned with the USA and that school is closed. Such laws are said to be more "protective" as if teenagers are incapable of handling sharp tools. Brazil wastes no opportunity to dumb down.