Daniel Cara criticizes the High School Reform and demands action from Camilo Santana: 'Ministry of Education continues the programmatic policies of the Temer government'

According to the political scientist, it is necessary to "deconstruct the Bolsonaro devastation" in education.

February 25, 2023, 12:22 PMUpdated April 03, 2023, 14:28 h

Daniel Cara (red tie), Camilo Santana and a classroom (Photo: Jefferson Rudy/Agência Senado | Luis Fortes/MEC | Cecília Bastos/Jornal USP)

247 - Political scientist and educator Daniel Cara stated this Saturday (25) that it is necessary for the Ministry of Education (MEC), headed by Camilo Santana, to review Law No. 13.415/2017, approved during the Michel Temer government. Known as the High School Reform, the proposal increased the workload and made curricula more flexible.

"The situation is clear: the Ministry of Education is the only ministry that continues the Temer government's programs (High School Reform and BNCC) and presents no actions – or even proposals! – to undo the Bolsonaro devastation in the area it manages. Worse, it defends Temer's 'legacy'. Serious," the analyst wrote on Twitter.

Supporters of the proposal argue that the project better orients students towards the job market. Opponents of the project believe that while interdisciplinary knowledge is necessary, the way it was designed increases the likelihood of superficial discussions, which in practice harms students' critical thinking skills.

Established situation: the Ministry of Education is the only ministry that continues the Temer government's programs (High School Reform and BNCC) and does not present any actions - or even proposals! - to dismantle the Bolsonaro-era devastation in the area it manages.
Worse, he defends Temer's "legacy".
Serious.
— Daniel Cara - Education and Science (@DanielCara) February 25, 2023

The project

The National Common Core Curriculum (BNCC) will occupy 60% of the total teaching hours, equivalent to 1.800 hours divided between the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd years of high school. The other 40% of the curriculum is filled by the so-called Formative Pathways, in which the student chooses the area of knowledge of their preference.

According to the project, the way the content is divided has changed. It is not a division by subjects, but rather by four areas of knowledge, as is done in the ENEM (Brazilian National High School Exam): Languages and their Technologies (Portuguese Language, English, Arts and Physical Education); Mathematics and its Technologies (Mathematics); Natural Sciences and their Technologies (Biology, Chemistry and Physics), and Human and Social Sciences (History, Geography, Sociology and Philosophy).

Students are required to study all areas of knowledge in high school, but in some years they may end up not studying all of them. Only Mathematics and Portuguese Language remain mandatory.