Analyzing shifts in education policy in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil: new actors and its impacts on education

• In Event: Educational policies and politics

Proposal

This paper analyzes the introduction, between 2021 and 2023, of non-State actors in the creation and enactment of the educational policies put forward by the Department of Education of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul”. Drawing on the theories of managerialism and policy networks, we analyze the educational policies implemented in state-run schools. Using these theoretical frameworks, we also introduce the actors involved in the policy creation and enactment. These actors not only influence policy discussions but play a key role in implementing these policies in schools by providing teacher training and conducting student assessments. To identify these actors, we employ the network ethnography approach as a methodology, which allows researchers to map the actors involved in the policy process. We argue, as others have (Ball, 2012; Ball, Junemann and Santori, 2017; Clarke and Newman, 1997), that these policies are being reshaped by new forms of governance adopted by the State. Furthermore, these policies align with what has been called the Global Education Reform Movement (GERM)—a set of changes that are restructuring the educational landscape (Sahlberg, 2016), with market-based solutions. Finally, we conclude that these changes have significant implications for teachers' work, curriculum design, and school management.

To understand the changes in educational policy in Rio Grande do Sul, we turn to the concepts of managerialism and policy networks. John Clarke and Janet Newman, in their book The Managerial State (Sage, 1997), describe the shifts in the role of the State in policy creation and implementation. Using the British context, they argue that there has been a shift from "government" to "governance," with new actors integrated into the State to enhance its efficiency. Central to this shift is the figure of the manager, who, with their expertise, is expected to bring new efficiency to the public sector. This shift has also introduced new language and practices in public administration.

In Brazil, these shifts started to be implemented during the administration of president Fernando Henrique Cardoso, who created the "Ministry of Administration and State Reform", specifically with this purpose. The reforms undertaken by this ministry align with those implemented in the UK. The goal was to make the State more efficient by transferring certain responsibilities to private administration. Those areas that were not privatized were expected to operate as though they were part of the private sector. A document titled the "Master Plan for the Reform of the State Apparatus" (Brasil, 1995) was developed, outlining how public administration should be organized and operate. To this day, these managerial educational solutions continue to be the base of Right-wing and Center-Right government policies in Brazil.

These changes, which originated in the UK and spread to other countries, affected education at various levels. Governments were now expected to apply new market-driven forms of administration in the public sector. Consequently, the language of the market began to permeate educational policies. Standardized tests and accountability measures are two examples of the significant changes introduced in schools as a result of these shifts in State policy.

One characteristic of the managerial state is the dispersion of power. Over time, as new forms of policy-making emerged, new modes of participation and configurations of the State began to develop. Stephen Ball and others (Ball, 2012; Rowe, 2024) refer to these new forms of participation as policy networks. These policy networks represent new arrangements between the State and non-State actors, organized to develop solutions to social problems. These solutions are often market-based, reflecting the principles of managerialism, but they also embody the ideas promoted by the Global Education Reform Movement (GERM).

GERM introduces a package of reforms that different governments are encouraged to adopt to make education more efficient and produce better results. These reforms include promoting competition among schools, standardizing education, focusing on STEM disciplines, incorporating market-driven management practices, and emphasizing accountability.

The combination of managerialism, policy networks, and GERM creates the conditions for a set of policies that have profound implications for teachers' work, curriculum, and school management. The policies implemented in Rio Grande do Sul between 2021 and 2023 demonstrate how the government has engaged actors from various sectors to advocate for changes in education. According to proponents, these changes aim to make education more efficient and improve outcomes, in line with GERM's objectives.

One such policy we analyze is "AlfabetizaTchê", which focuses on measuring the reading skills of students in the second year of elementary school. Student reading skills are evaluated three times a year, and the results influence funding allocations to municipalities. If a school performs poorly, it may negatively impact the municipality's funding. This places pressure on teachers and schools to meet specific benchmarks, aligning their efforts with standardized assessments. The government of Rio Grande do Sul has contracted various foundations to provide professional development for teachers, which perform what was a state responsibility, aiming to "reskill" teachers to meet the demands of the new assessments. We conclude in agreement with Michael Apple (1995) who claims that this "reskilling" process shifts teachers' focus toward meeting exam requirements, narrowing their instructional practices to align with standardized evaluations.

References
Apple, M. (1995). Education and Power. Routledge.
Ball, S. (2012). Global Education Inc. New policy networks and neo-liberal imaginary. Routledge.
Ball, S., Junemann, C., & Santori, D. (2017) Edu.net. globalization and education policy mobilities. Routledge.
Brasil. Ministério da Administração Federal e Reforma do Estado. (1995). Plano Diretor da Reforma do Aparelho do Estado.
Clarke, J., & Newman, J. (1997). The managerial State. Sage.
Rowe, E. (2024). Network ethnography in education: a literature review of network
ethnography as a methodology and how it has been applied in critical policy studies. In Stacey, M., & Mockler, N. Analysing education policy. Theory and method (pp. 136-156). Routledge.
Rio Grande do Sul. (s/f). AlfabetizaTchê. Retrieved from: https://educacao.rs.gov.br/alfabetiza-tche
Sahlberg, P. (2016). The Global Educational Reform Movement and its impact on schooling. In K. Mundy, A. Green, B. Lingard, & A. Verger (Eds.), The handbook of global education policy (pp. 128-144). Wiley.

Authors

• Mateus Arguelho da Cunha, Universitat de Barcelona

• Luis A Gandin, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul