WHAT CAN SCHOOLS DO TODAY IN BRAZIL, IN THE CONTEXT OF EXTERNAL ASSESSMENTS?

Abstract

The question that titles this article is quite pertinent: What can schools in Brazil do today, within the context of external evaluations? Without aiming to exhaust the multiple possibilities for interpretation that this question offers and invites, this article seeks to discuss external evaluation and its relationship to everyday school processes, highlighting the Basic Education Development Index (Ideb) calculated from data on school flow obtained through the School Census and average performance in the Basic Education Assessment System (Saeb). Through a systematic literature review, it is possible to understand the (im)possibilities of Brazilian schools within an oppressive, segregating, meritocratic context that places blame/accountability primarily on teachers and students. Under this neoliberal aegis, Brazilian public education is regulated by the State, being subordinated to market logic, leading us to reflect, from a critical-questioning perspective, on what the school can do amidst this scenario of annihilation of its potential and charms.