The “charm” of successful school models: When we accept quality for few

Abstract

In Brazil, a number of academic research studies in the area of education are based on the recognition, description and problematization of successful but isolated experiences of basic public schooling. The objective of this paper is to discuss circumstantially the national scientific production, demonstrating this production is dedicated to the experiences of differentiated and successful public schooling. This analysis was based on 73 papers published in ANPED between 2008 and 2017, in the following categories: spaces of development and extension of the experience; context description; pedagogical approach; comparisons and evaluations, and success factors. The analysis considered the following themes: a) the presence of a Salvationist tone within the described experiences; b) the absence of narratives about the contexts of the experiences; c) little reflection on schools in the same legal situations; d) a lack of originality in the experiences, or the application of existing provisions in legislation or replication of models and methodologies from European countries, and e) romanticized and pedagogical idioms. The conclusion raises questions about the legitimacy of the experiences studied, especially in the debate over the quality of mass schooling.