The Law of Guidelines and Bases of Education or LDB is the legislation that defines and regulates the Brazilian educational system, whether public or private.
This legislation was created based on the principles present in the Federal Constitution, which reaffirms the right to education from basic education to higher education.
It was mentioned for the first time in the Constitution of 1934, but it was only effectively created in 1961, followed by two enactments, one in 1971 and the last in 1996, which is in force until the present day.
LDB 9.394/96 establishes the principles of education and the duties of the State as an agent providing the public school education, defining its responsibilities in collaboration with the Union, the Federal District and the counties.
It also establishes a democratic management of public education and a progressive pedagogical and administrative financial management of school units, in addition to providing for the creation of the National Plan for Education.
Division of Brazilian Education according to LDB
The LDB also establishes the division of Brazilian education into two levels: basic education and higher education.
Basic education is made up of kindergarten, elementary school and high school. Under the responsibility of the municipalities, the child education it may be free, but it is not mandatory. In it, the student can attend day care centers from 0 to 3 years and pre-school from 4 to 5 years.
already the elementary School it is mandatory, and it can be free or not. It is composed of the initial years, from the 1st to the 5th year, and the final years, from the 6th to the 9th year. The LDB establishes that municipalities are gradually responsible for all primary education, but in practice, it attends to the initial years and the State to the final years.
O high school it is the sole responsibility of the State. It corresponds to the former high school and precedes admission to higher education. He can also be a professional technician.
O University education it is the responsibility of the Union, and may be offered by the State and the municipality, provided that they have already met the levels for which it is fully responsible. It is also up to the Union to authorize and supervise private higher education institutions.
Brazilian education also has specific modalities of education, which can meet all levels of the national education, such as special education, distance learning, youth and adult education and education indigenous.
In addition to these determinations, LDB 9394/96 addresses issues such as financial resources and the training of education professionals.
Updates in LDB
In 2016, the Law of Directives and Bases of Education underwent an alteration which modifies the curricula of secondary and elementary education. They now comprise the Common National Curriculum Base and specific training itineraries, with emphasis in the areas of languages, mathematics, natural sciences, humanities and technical training and professional.