The present article analyzes the academic production on/in the Municipal Educational System of Belo Horizonte - from 1986 to 2005 -, considering the social, educational and historical contexts of this period. The 162 dissertations and theses that integrate this study have been organized in 12 themes, all analyzed by specialist researchers. The development of the investigations, throughout the twenty years considered, shows a great variety of subjects and problems, and expresses a displacement of the researchers' look, from a general to a particular approach, in which the schools, educational professionals and students, as well as their actions, are placed in the center of the educational system. This research analyzes school practices, school and government programs, projects, teachers´ and students' practices, their knowledge, memories and life stories, all related to the different levels of basic education. School is understood as a time/space entity where people get education, face conflicts and find possibilities. The Municipal Educational System of Belo Horizonte stands out for the number of researches focused on itself, the diversification of approached themes and theories, and the contribution it may bring to new projects and public politics.
State of knowledge; Municipal Educational System of Belo Horizonte; Escola Plural (Plural School)
