"Agora seu filho entra mais cedo na escola": A criança de seis anos no ensino fundamental de nove anos em Minas Gerais

Abstract

Approved in February 6th, 2006, Law 11274/2006 extends the Blazilian basic education to nine years, by also enrolling six-year-old children. However, some municipalities and states did so even before this federal act was approved. This is the case of the state of Minas Gerais. This paper shows how this policy has been implemented there. It analyzes this law implementation process trying to identify the conditions for its approval and the consequences on basic and early childhood education. Since the effects of an educational policy in connection to other public policies have to be discussed, this text tries not only to ratify its apparently positive effects but also to look carefully at the critics against it. © 2007 CEDES.