BETWEEN THE LEGAL AND THE REAL: TEACHER PRECARISATION IN THE EDUCATIONAL PATHWAYS OF BRAZIL’S NEW SECONDARY EDUCATION REFORM

Abstract

This article analyzes the effects of the implementation of the New High School Reform (NEM) on teachers’ work, focusing on the experiences of educators involved in the Elective Pathways at a public high school in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The study aims to understand these professionals’ perceptions regarding curricular changes, work intensification, and the structural conditions that directly affect their pedagogical practices and professional trajectories. The research adopts a qualitative approach, grounded in content analysis, using semi-structured interviews and questionnaires conducted with teachers and school administrators. The accounts reveal a scenario of precariousness: lack of materials, task overload, contractual instability, and the undervaluation of teacher training. At the same time, strategies of resistance emerge, such as the creation of collaborative networks among educators and the appreciation of curricular components that foster stronger connections with students. The findings indicate that the NEM, far from representing an emancipatory pedagogical innovation, has deepened inequalities and expanded curricular fragmentation, particularly among students in public education. The study highlights the urgent need for educational policies that value the teaching profession, ensure decent working conditions, and promote an education that truly supports autonomy, critical thinking, and social justice. It is a necessary reflection on the present and future of public education in Brazil.