*By:\u00a0Renata Rosa<\/em> Doctoral research conducted by \u00c2ngela Both Chagas, a researcher from UFRGS’ Postgraduate Program in Education, has unveiled a complex scenario within state schools in Rio Grande do Sul following the implementation of the New High School curriculum (Novo Ensino M\u00e9dio – NEM). While observing the dedication of teachers and the engagement of students in activities like student unions, the research highlighted the precarious conditions of these educational institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Under the supervision of Professor Maria Beatriz Luce, the researcher spent six months closely experiencing the daily school routine, participating in activities and observing interactions between students and teachers. The study was divided into two stages: data analysis and in-person monitoring at the institutions. During the immersion period, both the commitment of education professionals and the difficulties faced by public schools caught \u00c2ngela’s attention. A notable incident occurred in an off-center school, where students had their class hours reduced due to a lack of teachers, starting classes later and leaving earlier for half of the academic year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “I observed this situation firsthand, seeing students arrive late, leave early, and complain about the lack of classes. This generates a feeling of discontent, as not even the minimum is guaranteed, which is having teachers to give classes in state schools across Rio Grande do Sul,” stated \u00c2ngela Both Chagas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The absence of classes in public institutions concerned the researcher, as it reflects a violation of students’ basic rights, depriving them of access to the minimum necessary for their education. This reality contradicts the rhetoric that promoted the New High School curriculum as a reform offering more freedom to students and turning schools into environments focused on job market integration, entrepreneurial spirit, and career plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In theory, the so-called \u2018tracks\u2019, which have already started to be part of the curriculum, are programs students can choose from according to their preferences and competences. As a fact, however, more than 84% of the schools offer only two \u201cdeepening tracks\u201d. Students who attend two shifts at school or at school and at work, the situation is even more dramatic. Around 40% of schools with evening programs offer only one track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The data collected by Chagas underscores widespread dissatisfaction with the NEM. Nearly 90% of teachers believe the New High School curriculum needs to be restructured, and 71% of students feel that the “deepening tracks” (trilhas de aprofundamento<\/em>, in Portuguese) do not meet their basic educational needs. The current model has been criticized for disarticulating the curriculum and overwhelming both students and teachers, without offering adequate training or the necessary resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The research also revealed a decrease in the workload for almost all conventional subjects compared to the schedules prior to the reform. This has led to a general reduction in the periods available for various teaching areas. \u00c2ngela notes that, while students were supposedly able to choose their tracks, the second-year high school classes she monitored, for instance, were only offered one period of biology, history, physics, and chemistry per week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “In compensation,” she explains, “they had three periods, for example, of ‘entrepreneurship for sustainability,’ which is one of the track components. For the students, having that curriculum component made no sense at all; they wanted more hours of biology, history, and geography, which they practically didn’t have, because one period a week is only 150 minutes of class.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00c2ngela also highlighted the reform’s impact on the political role of the school, which, under the new model, has been diminished. Subjects like philosophy and sociology lost ground, and the focus on “life project,” aligned with the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC), was pointed out as a strategy to develop entrepreneurial spirit. However, this approach places the responsibility for success or failure solely on the student, disregarding social and educational inequalities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The presence of private institutions in the implementation process of the New High School curriculum also caught the specialist’s attention. By analyzing documents from the State Department of Education (Seduc), \u00c2ngela identified the participation of at least 14 private institutions, including Instituto Unibanco and Ita\u00fa Educa\u00e7\u00e3o e Trabalho. These entities, in partnership with the Department, influence school guidelines, limiting the autonomy of educational institutions to create pedagogical projects that meet their students’ specific needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “In the teachers’ work, then, in general, we see an imposition. It’s a policy that reflects as authoritarian because it removes autonomy from schools in constructing their pedagogical projects and transfers this task to Seduc and private agents,” \u00c2ngela Both Chagas asserted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite the challenges, the research also highlighted the resilience of public schools and the determination of teachers and students, who continue fighting for quality education. Even without autonomy and adequate structure, educators find creative solutions to overcome obstacles. Students have also mobilized through protests and public hearings, demanding curriculum changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The recently sanctioned reform of the New High School curriculum brought some advancements, such as an increased workload for basic general education. However, much remains to be done to ensure inclusive and quality education. \u00c2ngela concludes her analysis by emphasizing the importance of the school in building democracy and empowering citizens from an early age, believing that the path to a fairer and more effective high school depends on collective mobilization and the valorization of education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The complete thesis is available in the Lume \u2013 UFRGS Digital Repository.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Translated into English by Amanda Cavagnoli Andreotti<\/strong>, undergraduate student enrolled in the course “Supervised Translation Training I (English)” of the Undergraduate Program in Language and Literature, under the supervision and translation revision of Professor Elizamari R. Becker (P.h.D.) – IL\/UFRGS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*First published\u00a0October 24, 2024<\/em>
*Photo: In 2023, a series of protests across the country called for the revocation of the New High School curriculum (Novo Ensino M\u00e9dio). A bill approved by Congress and sanctioned in July 2024 did not revoke the NEM but instituted changes effective from 2025 (Photo: Rovena Rosa\/Ag\u00eancia Brasil)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nDiscontent among educators and students<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Reduced core curriculum hours raise concerns<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Eroding the school’s political role<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Resilience and the path forward<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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