"For an Education that Teaches to Think, Not to Obey"

Student Expressions on the Formative Itneraries in São Paulo Public Schools

Abstract

The New High School has been implemented in São Paulo state schools since 2021, changing the daily routine and education of students, primarily through the reorganization of their workload and the introduction of formative itineraries, considered the diversified part of the curriculum. Taking this reality into account, the research described here seeks to understand what students in the New High School express about the formative itineraries in some public schools in the interior of São Paulo state. The research is based on a qualitative paradigm, and the data were collected through activities carried out with 143 students. The results indicate that most students highlighted negative aspects of the formative itineraries, such as their lack of connection with their life projects and the absence of flexibility in their choice, which had been widely promoted by the government. Additionally, they pointed out that the absence of components from the general basic education, which were replaced by the itineraries, compromises their education and youth. The positive aspects identified are related to how the itineraries are being taught in the classroom, rather than to the education they could provide to students.