New Secondary School: what changes, how it will work –

O New High School it is the result of the alteration of the Law of Guidelines and Bases of National Education (LDBI) through law 13,415, of February 16, 2017. Among the changes are an increase in the workload, new curriculum and teaching focused on professional training. A proposal includes:

  • fewer lectures;
  • greater student participation;
  • increase in projects, practical activities, courses and workshops.

With the unification of the school curriculum at the national level, the Ministry of Education (MEC) intends to align the learning of students from public and private networks throughout the national territory, reducing the gap in content and regional inequalities and training path.

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Summary about the New High School

  • It started to take effect in 2022.
  • It will be implemented gradually, starting with the 1st year of high school.
  • It will be divided into National Common Curriculum Base (BNCC) and Training Itineraries.
  • Students in the 3rd year of high school will choose which Formative Itinerary they wish to study.
  • There will be an increase in the workload in schools.
  • Enem will undergo changes to adapt to the New High School in 2024.

Don’t stop now… There’s more after the publicity 😉

How will the New High School be?

The New Secondary School will be divided into the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC), which is mandatory, and Training Itineraries (Learning Paths), chosen by the students.

Although the law was approved in 2017, the implementation of the New Secondary School began in the 2022 school year. The changes will be gradual and carried out by grade. Look:

  • 2022: implementation for the 1st year of high school (BNCC);
  • 2023: implementation for the 1st and 2nd years of High School (BNCC);
  • 2024: implementation for all high school grades (BNCC for 1st and 2nd years and Training Itineraries for the 3rd).

Regarding the workload, there will be scaling from 2400 to 3000 hours. Of the total, at least 1200 hours (40%) will be devoted to Training Itineraries.

Students’ permanence in the classroom will increase from four to five hours a day. With the rise of full-time schools, the MEC wants to expand the workload to seven hours, in the future.

National Common Curriculum Base (BNCC)

The National Common Curricular Base (BNCC) is the grid that constitutes the first two years of High School. It is mandatory and common to all students in Brazilian schools.

BNCC is made up of subjects:

Training Itineraries in the New High School

The Formative Itineraries are the areas in which students will be able to deepen their studies from the second semester of the 2nd or 3rd year of high school or equivalent.

Students can choose from the following itineraries:

  • Languages;
  • Mathematics;
  • Natural Sciences;
  • Human and Social Sciences;
  • Technical and Professional Training.

You students will be able to choose one or more Learning Paths, as the Training Itineraries are also called. However, schools will not be required to offer all itineraries.

To the Portuguese and Mathematics subjects are mandatory in all grades of secondary education.

Life Project in New High School

Part of New High School will be dedicated to the students’ Life Project. Teachers will help students reflect on what they want for the future, the possibilities of studies and how to make choices consistent with your goals.

The pillars worked on by teachers and students will be personal, social and professional goals. The Life Project can be worked on as an isolated subject or within the different study areas of New High School.

The project will take into account the social, cultural and regional aspects of students from each part of the country, leaving it up to the schools how they will be worked.

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Partnerships in New High School

Schools will be able to form partnerships with state and federal universities, federal institutes and education departments to offer subjects from the curriculum itineraries and activities. Partnerships with the productive sector may also be signed by schools for Technical and Professional Training.

Enem and the New High School

The National High School Examination (Enem) must change to meet the New High School. theadaptation to the curriculum is scheduled for 2024at which time the tests on the first day will be composed of areas of the BNCC and those on the second will be set up according to the Training Itinerary referring to the higher education course that the student wants.

Currently, the Enem is the same for all participants, covering all teaching areas: Languages ​​and Codes, Human Sciences, Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Writing.

How will the Enem tests be with the New High School

With a test focused on the Formative Itinerary, the focus of the Enem will be in the professional future of the student. The exam is the main form of entry into public higher education institutions through the Unified Selection System (SiSU). To learn more, read: Changes in the Enem with the New High School.

Discussions about the New High School

A New Secondary School law passed amid protests of the school community. In the previous year, during the voting process for those responsible, students across the country occupied schools to protest against changes proposed in the initial text, such as teachers without higher education (notorious knowledge) to teach, exclusion of disciplines such as Art, Physical Education and Philosophy, among other topics.

With the amendments, the exclusion of disciplines was removed from the text of the MP, making them part of the BNCC and, therefore, mandatory in High School. Classes taught by professors without academic training in the areas will only be included in the Technical Teaching Route, that is, engineers will be able to teach about their work activities, for example.

Since the approval of the MP, the changes are being adopted gradually. The integration of schools, with school activities in one shift and other activities after school, has grown in high school, as proposed by law. According to the Ministry of Education (MEC), teachers and technical professionals from schools will undergo courses and training for the new format of High School.

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MEC (disclosure)

By Lorraine Vilela
Journalist