by PublicABCP
Translated and reviewed by Matheus Lucas Hebling
The study The Regulation of the National Education System (SNE) in Brazil: A Long Debate, by Karoline de Oliveira (UFABC) and Catarina Ianni Segatto (USP), analyzes the historical and institutional development of the proposal to create the SNE in Brazil. Published in the journal Práxis Educativa, the article examines how this debate fits within the broader context of designing national systems for social policies, with a particular focus on education.
The authors investigate ideas related to federative coordination and the legislative proposals aimed at structuring the SNE, including the bill currently under discussion in the National Congress. Their goal is to understand the factors that kept the issue on the governmental agenda and to identify the core elements of the regulatory proposals.
The proposal to create a National Education System has deep roots, dating back to the 1932 Manifesto of the Pioneers of New Education, which already advocated the need for a coordinated national framework to ensure equity in access to education. Nonetheless, it was the 1988 Federal Constitution that more concretely established the principle of collaborative governance among federal entities.
Despite this, unlike other areas such as health and social assistance, Brazilian educational policy has not consolidated a structured national system. The absence of institutional mechanisms for cooperation resulted in a fragmented model marked by significant asymmetries in the capacity of subnational governments and by implementation conflicts, especially in Basic Education.
Beginning in the 2000s, the debate on SNE regulation gained momentum through its inclusion in national education conferences and in the congressional agenda. Several bills were introduced—at least eight between 2011 and 2020. Although they share common principles, such as defining responsibilities among federal entities and creating intergovernmental commissions, these proposals diverge in their institutional design for the system.
The Complementary Bill (PLP) 235/2019, currently being discussed in the Chamber of Deputies, is the most advanced. Approved by the Senate, it proposes a model that coordinates different levels of government through federative cooperation, with the aim of promoting equity and ensuring the quality of basic education nationwide.
The article emphasizes that despite advances in federal educational policy formulation, the absence of a structured national system limits the effectiveness of coordination among federal entities. It also highlights that the mobilization of multiple actors, including civil society organizations, has been crucial to maintaining the issue on the political agenda and influencing the content of legislative proposals.
However, the lack of consensus among different sectors regarding the structure and governance of the SNE has been one of the main obstacles to its approval. According to the authors, if regulated, the system could help reduce institutional fragmentation and align national, state, and municipal educational policies.
Given the persistent inequalities in access to and quality of public education in Brazil, the regulation of the National Education System is presented as a necessary step to strengthen the governance of educational policy. The SNE is conceived as a “system of systems,” capable of articulating the various local arrangements already in place through federative agreements. The proposal includes mechanisms of cooperation among federal, state, and municipal governments, with joint deliberative bodies and shared definitions of goals and responsibilities.
Although the matter remains under legislative debate, its institutionalization represents, according to the authors, an opportunity to promote greater integration and coherence among educational policies across different levels of government.
Author Profiles
Karoline de Oliveira is a doctoral student in Public Policy at the Federal University of ABC (UFABC). She holds a degree in Public Policy Management (UFRN) and a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Studies (UFRN).
Catarina Ianni Segatto is a professor in the Graduate Program in Public Policy at UFABC. She holds a PhD in Public Administration and Government from the São Paulo School of Business Administration (FGV EAESP).
Technical Information
Title: The Regulation of the National Education System (SNE) in Brazil: A Long Debate
Authors: Karoline de Oliveira and Catarina Ianni Segatto
Year of Publication: 2023
Published in: Práxis Educativa, Vol. 18
