ESCOLA SEM PARTIDO [SCHOOL WITHOUT PARTY]: FROM CONTROL TO DISPOSSESSION

SCHOOL WITHOUT PARTY: FROM CONTROL TO DISPOSSESSION

Abstract

Abstract

The Escola Sem Partido (ESP) movement, or School Without Party, was initially proposed in Brazil in 2004. Ten years later, with the emergence of conservative rallies and gatherings nationwide, it gained notoriety and strong support from members of Congress as well as from right-wing parties. Grounded on the belief that Brazilian schools probably harbour leftist indoctrination and claiming a non-partisan profile, in addition to sparking controversy over educational guidelines, the ESP has recently increased its ranks and several bills have been put forward in the Chamber of Deputies and in many state legislative assemblies. An analysis of these bills and of the central claims backed by ESP supporters reveals another side to the movement, as this paper shows. Factors including ESP’s covert interests, partisan disputes, a link with authoritarian tendencies that call for curtailing teachers’ work, as well as a connection with a broader project that aims to turn schools into a business enterprise via dispossession, raise serious questions and a general discussion regarding the movement’s real interests and their implications for Brazil’s educational system. Such a discussion is vital for establishing a more effective counterargument, based on informed knowledge, on leadership, and on the fight for a more autonomous and democratic school.     

Keywords: Escola Sem Partido; Control; Education; Dispossession.