SCHOOL MANAGEMENT IN THE ERA OF NEOLIBERALISM

Abstract

This article discusses how past theorists sought to overcome the normative empiricism that was prevalent in Brazil until the 1930s. Similarly, scholars in the 1980s sought to challenge the technicist and neutral view of school management, aiming to respond to the growing social exclusion under capitalism. They were motivated by a critical sociological theory and the need to transform society. The changes that have occurred in school administrations simultaneously reflect the transformations in the world of work, which affect both the systematization of labor and educational management. Education, as a social practice, is influenced by socioeconomic and temporal conditions, and it is essential to understand political and economic changes in order to assess the intentions behind educational reforms. The crisis of capitalism in the 1970s led to an ideological and economic restructuring, marked by neoliberalism, which proposed the reduction of state control and the adoption of the Toyotist production model, focused on flexibility and decentralization. This neoliberal logic reformulated concepts previously associated with democracy, altering their meanings within the new socioeconomic context. Thus, school management became of great importance to capital, as it directly impacts the performance of educational institutions, with the principal being ultimately responsible for this success. Historically, schools have served to reproduce capitalism, exercising disciplinary and cultural control and preparing individuals for work. In this way, it becomes an effective environment for the training of workers on a large scale, ensuring that their capabilities are aligned with the demands of the capitalist model. In the context of educational reforms, different management models coexist, such as managerial administration and democratic management. Managerial administration emerged in response to global political and economic changes, promoting the restructuring of the education sector under the logic of private sector efficiency. International organizations, such as the World Bank, play a crucial role in this trend, outlining policies and priorities for the countries that finance them, linking education to economic development. In Brazil, this managerial orientation has shaped the management of public schools, suggesting a transfer of responsibilities and resources to educational institutions as a way of promoting efficiency. However, this approach can lead to the privatization of educational services and the centralization of decision-making, while local areas are held responsible for conflicts. Thus, the autonomy mentioned in international discourses can lose its democratic meaning, since decisions remain concentrated, limiting the true capacity for self-government and participation of communities in educational policies. Debates on education in Brazil address issues such as demand, quality and administration of education, amid high dropout and repetition rates. Social movements demand the participation of the population in councils that promote control over government actions. Such initiatives have driven the discussion on the restructuring of school management, making it more democratic, a change formalized in the 1988 Constitution. The conceptual configuration of this work is bibliographical and contextual research.