The education system has several rules to be followed. One of them is the National Curriculum Guidelines (DCN), basic education standards that support the curricular planning of schools.
Originating in the Law of Directives and Bases of Education (LDB) and established by the National Education Council (CNE), the DCN directs activities towards Early Childhood Education and Elementary and Secondary Education. However, how do they work? Why are they important? And what are the differences for the National Curriculum Parameters (PCN) and the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC)?
This is what we will explain in this article. Follow!
National Curriculum Guidelines: what are they?
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- 1National Curriculum Guidelines: what are they?
- 2Why are they important?
- 3DCN x PCN: what are the differences?
- 4DCN x BNCC: what characterizes each of them?
The DCNs define the competences and guidelines for Basic Education. For this reason, it is the basis for the development of curricula and minimum content to ensure common training.
The objective of the Curriculum Guidelines is to ensure the autonomy of the school and the pedagogical proposal. Thus, institutions are encouraged to build their curricula based on the areas of knowledge and content that they consider most appropriate.
The idea is to ensure that the disciplines are worked from some specific parameters, such as the type of people served, the region in which it is inserted and other relevant aspects.
DCN are laws and determine the objectives and goals to be pursued. They cover elements of foundation for each field of knowledge, area of knowledge or profession.
The purpose is to encourage the autonomous and permanent capacity for intellectual and professional development. Therefore, in addition to Basic Education, the guidelines are also geared towards teacher training.
In short, DCNs provide the structure. They offer general rules for Basic Education, but they also have specific rules for each stage. Thus, there is a learning equity and the basic contents are taught to all students, while considering the context in which they are inserted.
Why are they important?
The Curricular Guidelines are general, but also present details for each stage of teaching. This flexibility facilitates the application of quality teaching, centered on the development of the student and their learning.
At the same time, collective community participation strategies are implemented in school planning and democratic management . This is because the DCNs offer the right to human, citizen and professional training.
In this context, its objectives are:
- systematize basic education principles and guidelines to guarantee common national training for students;
- encourage critical and purposeful reflection to design, execute and evaluate the schools’ political-pedagogical project (PPP);
- direct the initial and continuing training courses for professionals, the educational systems of the states and municipalities, and the schools that are part of them.
Due to these purposes, the DCN indicates how the teacher can change the reality of the students and the community in which the school is inserted. The idea is to promote the citizen’s conditions of the population to socialize research, information and discussions, in order to provide the necessary support to teachers, technicians and other professionals.
DCN x PCN: what are the differences?
Although many people confuse these two guidelines, there are significant differences. The National Curriculum Parameters offer rules divided by disciplines. They are created by the federal government, but there is no obligation by law.
They direct the pedagogical discussions held at the school, as well as the production of books and teaching materials. The evaluation of the educational system also needs to follow the guidelines of the NCP.
It is important to highlight that the parameters are prior to the Curriculum Guidelines – they were created in 1997. They serve as a reference for the restructuring of the school’s curriculum proposal and delimitation of the rules to be followed.
However, they are only recommendations, precisely because there is no obligation under the law. The NCPs, therefore, indicate guidelines and curriculum references. Meanwhile, DCNs focus on goals and objectives.
In general, the Curricular Parameters contribute and direct:
- curriculum development and review;
- initial and continuing teacher education;
- methodologies addressed;
- pedagogical discussions.
For this reason, NCPs resolve teachers’ doubts about the act of teaching. This characteristic is especially important for those who teach for the first time, regardless of being recently graduated.
In other words, it is like a way to go. Although there is no closed formula, there is an indication of practices, projects and plans for teaching and discipline, which underpin the educator’s work and allow him to improve the quality of learning in the classroom.
DCN x BNCC: what characterizes each of them?
In addition to the confusion with the NCPs, the National Curricular Guidelines are also often confused with the Common National Curricular Base (BNCC). In fact, this document presents guidelines that direct the curricula of public and private schools of Basic Education.
The Base defines learning objectives and rights. In other words, it determines what every student should know before finishing High School – the stage that concludes Basic Education.
Therefore, it indicates what content is mandatory in all schools, as well as the skills and competences to be worked on. Therefore, it is more specific than the guidelines.
It is worth noting that the BNCC was created after the DCN and even based on these guidelines. Thus, one document complements the other, contrary to what many educators believe.
The creation of the National Common Curricular Base was also to end the existing discrepancies in the country, since the school curricula between the regions diverge significantly. It ensures the right to education with equity and was developed based on discussions with society.
Over 12 million contributions were made and the document was revised, signed and approved. Now, it is already in force and must change the Enem and the entrance exams . With this, it demands that Basic Education schools adjust to the new teaching needs and encourage the student to think and research with the purpose of guaranteeing a complete and complete education.
In short, the National Curriculum Guidelines are fundamental for the teaching of the country. As they are structural in nature, they are mandatory by law and need to be followed by educational institutions. More broadly, they contribute to the training of students and the whole community.
