Educating the right way and neoliberal, conservative and fundamentalist education policies

Abstract

When reconfiguring Michael Apple’s work “Educating the ‘right’ way: markets, standards, god, and inequality, from 2001, we sought an understanding of the disputes in the Brazilian educational field with the advance of a conservative, neoliberal, and fundamentalist wave. In this sense, the political-economic-legal context serves as a background to expose how the convergence of right-aligned groups has articulated and combined efforts for an education that serves the market, the establishment of standards, “god” and the maintenance of inequalities. These ideologies advance education through reforms that are intended to be neutral and committed to the supposed efficiency and quality that the school should have under the aegis of capital. The research was developed through the survey of concepts and categories of a critical perspective with the analysis of some educational projects under development in the Brazilian context. As a result, we obtained the confirmation that the educational project in the light of right-wing conservatism, mediates meritocracy, individualism, rejection of differences and a false equality of opportunity. These characteristics are inserted in education public policies, privileging the technique, skills and necessary abilities for the metabolism of the capital.