Advancements and Limitations in Brazil’s Democratic Management of Education Framework

Abstract

This chapter explores the potentials and challenges that revolve around implementing the principle of democratic management of public education in Brazil. We review 30 years of research on theories and practices of democratic management, considering how this tenet has been implemented since it was established in Brazil’s Federal Constitution. First, we review articulations of the concept in policies and laws and the underlying historical and social context. Concrete examples of efforts to support the development of democratic management in Brazil are described. While discussing the necessary inputs to foster democratic management in the context of a younger democracy like Brazil, we contribute to further reflections on the connections and productive possibilities between education and participatory democracy in the current global scenario where numerous evidence indicates the weakening of democratic values in diverse contexts and institutions. We provide an overview of the reasons why the democratization of education management in Brazil is insufficient; and yet, it presents important advances even in contexts comparatively deprived of social and economic structures.