O (não) lugar do ensino médio na política de financiamento para a educação

Abstract

The High School Reform (Law No. 13,415/2017) has been the target of criticism for imposing structural changes without ensuring the necessary resources, thereby worsening the precariousness of this educational stage through curricular reduction and budgetary constraints. In this context, this research, linked to the Research Line "State, Policies, and Education Management" at UFU, analyzed the allocation of financial resources for the High School Reform and its implications on the provision of the Itinerários Formativos (Formative Itineraries) in public schools in Uberlândia and Montes Claros (MG), from the perspective of high school professionals.The methodological approach combined bibliographic research, document analysis, and the application of questionnaires to education professionals. The integration of quantitative and qualitative data enabled a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by public school systems. The theoretical framework is grounded in a critical perspective on neoliberal policies and educational reforms targeting high school, with an emphasis on public funding and its impact on the Itinerários Formativos. The empirical investigation was structured in four stages: (1) analysis of budgetary data and official documents provided by institutions such as MEC, FNDE, SEE/MG, and the Transparency Portal; (2) survey of the funds transferred through the PDDE Qualidade/Itinerários Formativos program, via the FNDE/PDDE Info platform; (3) application of questionnaires to high school professionals, aiming to capture their perceptions and experiences regarding the reform; and (4) integration and critical analysis of the collected data. The articulation among these stages provided methodological rigor and enabled a more consistent interpretation of the contradictions within the reform process. The study also included a historical review of policies aimed at high school education in Brazil and in the state of Minas Gerais, highlighting reforms implemented after the 2016 parliamentary coup. In parallel, the evolution of Basic Education funding policies and the allocation of resources to high school — especially through FUNDEB—from 2019 to 2023 were examined. The municipalities of Uberlândia and Montes Claros were analyzed in terms of their educational contexts, and an overview of the funds allocated to the High School Reform through the Programa Dinheiro Direto na Escola (PDDE) in the same period was outlined. The results show that the main challenges of the reform are directly related to insufficient funding. Infrastructure shortcomings, unequal resource distribution, and the lack of ongoing teacher training undermine the effectiveness of the policy and exacerbate educational inequalities. The fund transfers, ranging from R$ 10,839.00 to R$ 18,563.41 per installment, were insufficient to meet the structural and pedagogical needs of the schools, impacting everything from the adequacy of physical spaces to the acquisition of teaching materials and essential technologies for quality education.