Secondary education: experts praise higher basic load – 03/21/2024 – Education

The approval of changes in the reform of secondary education by the Chamber of Deputies, on the night of this Wednesday (20), brings as a positive point the increase in the workload for the so-called basic general training, evaluate experts consulted by the Sheet.

On the other hand, the text differentiates between the general itinerary and the technical education itinerary. This point would be harmful, in the opinion of Márcia Jacomini, professor in the education department at Unifesp (Federal University of São Paulo).

“Given the content and consequences, the reform should be repealed, and the process of implementing a new one should occur in a participatory manner. But, given what is stated, the reform of the reform can bring benefits. The increase in working hours 1,800 to 2,400, in general training, will provide conditions for schools to develop the content”, he says.

The text still needs to pass the Senate.

The Executive’s proposal provided for 2,400 mandatory hours of the general curriculum for all training itineraries. The rapporteur, with the support of the majority of state education secretaries, stated that the mandatory level would make professional courses unfeasible.

“We are assuming that students who choose this technical training may have less content than basic general training. That they do not need to know much about Portuguese, mathematics, chemistry, physics”, says Jacomini.

Priscila Cruz, president of Todos pela Educação, considers that the new replacement continues to preserve the principles of the 2017 reform — which generated criticism after implementation — and brings improvements compared to the original design.

“There are three main pillars of the so-called secondary education reform, implemented in 2017: expansion of the daily workload from 4 hours to 5 hours per day, curricular flexibility and integration of professional education with regular secondary education. These principles were not only maintained how they were strengthened, as their rules were improved”, he says.

It lists as improvements the removal of the “ceiling” of 1,800 hours in basic general training, changing to a “floor” of 2,400 hours, and better organized training itineraries, with a clear indication that national guidelines will be created

“[Era um] problem with the original renovation, this part was very loose, creating a dispersion, rather than deepening the areas. The new replacement fixes this.”

The project foresees five areas in which students will be able to delve deeper in high school. They are: languages, mathematics and natural sciences; languages, mathematics and human and social sciences; languages, human and social sciences and natural sciences; mathematics, human and social sciences and natural sciences; and professional courses.

The first four will have 2,400 hours of common curriculum, while the last may have 1,800 hours. Schools will be required to offer at least two of these areas.