Curriculum Reform in Brazil to Develop Skills for the Twenty-First Century

Claudia Costin,Teresa Pontual

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-41882-3_2

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter describes a national curricular reform process underway in Brazil. A civil society movement led by education NGOs has had a major role in ensuring the continuity of this reform through political turmoil from 2013 on. The complete Base Nacional Comum Curricular (BNCC) covering all of Basic Education from early childhood through upper secondary education was approved by the federal government in December 2018. The 600-page document lists the learning objectives, skills and competencies all students in Brazil must achieve. The most ambitious part of the BNCC, however, are the ten general competencies that set the north for all the grades and subject matter specific objectives, skills and competencies. These competencies are firmly aligned with the twenty-first Century skills all students must develop to lead fulfilling and productive lives as global citizens. The theory of change behind the BNCC is to align the main education policies in Brazil’s highly decentralized education system to these higher standards: local curricula (state and city levels), classroom materials, student evaluations as well as initial and ongoing teacher training; thereby improving student outcomes. This chapter chronicles this reform effort and gives an overview of where this theory of change currently stands.

Highlights

Brazil is currently implementing an ambitious national curricular reform
The civil society movement started with key actors from the third sector, universities and government, who strongly believed that without a common curricular north to guide all other education policies, such as local curricula, classroom materials, teacher training and student evaluations, Brazil would never overcome its poor educational outcomes and offer its children the chance to break the cycle of poverty through education
The Ministry’s focus seems to be in early literacy and increasing the number basic education schools run by the military, they have not abandoned the Base Nacional Comum Curricular (BNCC) implementation strategy started by the previous government

Summary

Introduction

Brazil is currently implementing an ambitious national curricular reform. The process began in 2013 with an organized civil society movement that realized the importance of realizing the promise of a national common core which was first laid out in the 1988 Constitution which reestablished Brazil’s democratic regime. The civil society movement started with key actors from the third sector, universities and government, who strongly believed that without a common curricular north to guide all other education policies, such as local curricula, classroom materials, teacher training and student evaluations, Brazil would never overcome its poor educational outcomes and offer its children the chance to break the cycle of poverty through education. This movement, known as Movimento pela Base, successfully influenced the federal government to develop the BNCC in a very short period and under the directive of several different education ministers from opposing political parties and ideologies. With a common and clearly defined north provided by the BNCC, states would develop their curricula in partnership with their own cities, the federal government’s National Textbook Program (PNLD) would provide textbooks aligned with the BNCC, teacher training programs would have to incorporate the BNCC into their curricula and the Ministry

Context

The Writing Process

The BNCC and State and City Curricula

The BNCC and Classroom Materials

The BNCC and Teacher Training

The BNCC and National Student Evaluations

Findings

The BNCC and Twenty-First Century Skills