The recommendations from international organizations for São Paulo's educational policy

Abstract

This paper analyzes the repercussions of some international organization’s recommendations for São Paulo’s current educational policy. The prioritized discourses were those of: The World Bank Group (WBG); the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OCDE). The hypothesis is that throughout more than two decades, and under the aegis of a single political party - The Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), the educational policy in São Paulo has been aligned with international recommendations and orientations in regards to educational policies, specifically those related to school teachers, reinforcing discourses that are aimed at disqualifying them, their formation and the work they carry out. From the analysis made on documents issued by international organizations and also those issued by the State’s Department of Education (SEE/SP), it was possible to conclude that such a process to disqualify both socially and professionally the status of these teachers has been engendered for over two decades. This has made fragile the profession’s public image and strengthened control and regulatory strategies over the work of teachers, as well as accountability mechanisms on the state’s behalf aiming at the implementation of managerial and performative policies.