Curriculum reform in Brazil to develop skills for the twenty-first century

Abstract

This chapter describes a national curricular reform process underway in Brazil. A civil society movement led by education NGOs has had a major role in ensuring the continuity of this reform through political turmoil from 2013 on. The complete Base Nacional Comum Curricular (BNCC) covering all of Basic Education from early childhood through upper secondary education was approved by the federal government in December 2018. The 600-page document lists the learning objectives, skills and competencies all students in Brazil must achieve. The most ambitious part of the BNCC, however, are the ten general competencies that set the north for all the grades and subject matter specific objectives, skills and competencies. These competencies are firmly aligned with the twenty-first Century skills all students must develop to lead fulfilling and productive lives as global citizens. The theory of change behind the BNCC is to align the main education policies in Brazil's highly decentralized education system to these higher standards: local curricula (state and city levels), classroom materials, student evaluations as well as initial and ongoing teacher training; thereby improving student outcomes. This chapter chronicles this reform effort and gives an overview of where this theory of change currently stands.