DEMOCRATIC MANAGEMENT IN THE LEGAL INSTRUMENTS GUIDING BRAZILIAN PUBLIC EDUCATION

Abstract

The article is part of a master's thesis in education sciences at the Intercontinental Technological University (UTIC). Its objective was to analyze how democratic management is addressed in the main legal instruments guiding Brazilian public education. The research is characterized as a qualitative study, developed through documentary and bibliographic research. Legal documents such as the 1988 Federal Constitution, the Law of Guidelines and Bases for National Education (Law No. 9,394/1996), and the National Education Plan (2014–2024) were analyzed. In addition, theoretical contributions from authors who discuss democratic management and the organization of education, including Libâneo, Saviani, and Paro, were used. The results show that the legal instruments analyzed recognize democratic management as a structuring principle of public education, highlighting the importance of school community participation in decision-making processes and in the collective construction of educational policies. However, it is also observed that, despite the legal provision, there are still challenges related to the implementation of this principle in the daily routine of educational institutions. It is concluded that Brazilian legal instruments represent significant advances in the consolidation of democratic management, but their implementation depends on the strengthening of public education policies, the training of managers and teachers, and the expansion of mechanisms for social participation in the school context.