The multiplicity of meanings and the political conditioning of the notion of quality in basic education

Abstract

This paper problematizes the notion of “educational quality” applied to basic education through a thematic bibliographic review. Thus, some of the most evident meanings of the signifier of quality are resumed, linking them to their historical context of origin and to their prior political relevance they once had. This reading highlights the discursive nature of educationa quality, a notion permeated by several ruptures, pluralities and coexistence of senses, demonstrating also its occurrence as a political object capable of equalizing disparate demands in the educational field due to its seeming neutrality and its potential to achieve consensus. At the moment, there is an apparent depoliticization of the debate on the paths of education, with the emergence of seemingly technical quality criteria that actually point towards politically skewed directions for basic education.