TEACHING ASSESSMENT AND WORK POLICY IN SECONDARY EDUCATION: ENEM AND ITS IMPACT ON TEACHING ACTIVITY IN THE CITY OF SÃO LUÍS – MA

Abstract

This article is the result of research on assessment policies instituted especially since the 1990s in education, focusing specifically on the National High School Exam (ENEM). The aim is to understand its impact on high school teaching in the municipality of São Luís, Maranhão. This is a qualitative study involving bibliographical, documentary, and empirical research. Based on the analysis of the research data, it was possible to determine that, with the establishment of the "evaluating state" following the implementation of the Brazilian State Apparatus Reform in the 1990s, the state largely abandoned social policies in general, particularly in the education sector. Control mechanisms were established through external assessments to promote education regulation, focusing on results, excellence, performance, and achieving educational efficiency and effectiveness. Furthermore, the study revealed the broad repercussions of market-driven educational policies on secondary education, as it has undergone significant restructuring in recent years due to the centrality of external assessments within the "evaluating state." Finally, this study did not reveal any significant forms of organization or resistance among teachers to meet the demands arising from the intensification of teaching work, given the implementation of the ENEM (National High School Exam). This suggests the potential for further specific studies capable of analyzing and understanding this and other issues with greater precision and relevance.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56238/sevened2025.030-088