Mapping Education Under Attack in Brazil: Notes on an Anti-Democratic, Militaristic, and Denialist Education Project

• In Event: Fostering Peace Education, Countering Militaristic Education, and and Empowering Communities in Diverse National Contexts

Proposal

In recent years, organized counter-movements have influenced political institutions in Brazil to advance their interests, affecting government performance and shaping parliamentary actions. The increase in cases of persecution, dismissals, and removal of teachers; violence against schools; and various forms of prejudice, such as racism, misogyny, and homophobia, indicate that these actions are not isolated incidents. Rather, they are the result of collective action by specific actors linked to certain ideological currents that oppose the notion of rights or propose a questionable interpretation of rights and citizenship. This article addresses the field of education, which has been used to legitimize these groups in their lobbying efforts. Our research mapped 1,993 legislative proposals between 1989 and 2023, including attacks and threats, as well as progressive opposition. In the last decade, we found 201 cases of attacks on school networks, averaging 18 attacks per year. This work highlights the advancement of an anti-democratic education project in Brazil through processes that restrict rights, promote actors who reduce the guarantee of rights, and proclaim neutrality and technicality in favor of private interests.

Authors

• Andressa C Pellanda, Brazilian Campaign for the Right to Education

• Marcele Frossard de Araujo