BETWEEN THE NEW SECONDARY EDUCATION AND THE NATIONAL SECONDARY EDUCATION POLICY

shifts in the production of curricular justice

Abstract

This article analyzes the conceptual shifts in Brazilian secondary education policies between the New Secondary Education (NEM) and the National Secondary Education Policy (PNAEM), taking the notion of curricular justice as its central axis. The text problematizes the relationships between youth, social inequality, and educational policies, highlighting how certain populations remain more vulnerable to social exclusion. Initially, the article discusses the contemporary resurgence of debates on inequality and social justice, drawing on authors such as Piketty, Fraser, and Dubet. It then revisits the concept of curricular justice based on the work of Raewyn Connell, articulating it with the contributions of Santomé, Arroyo, and Branca Ponce. Finally, it compares the NEM, centered on individual autonomy and curricular pathways, with the PNAEM, oriented toward expanding common education, ensuring school permanence, and protecting youth trajectories. The study concludes that recent policies indicate a partial transition from a meritocratic logic toward a perspective more committed to foundational equality and social justice.