Abstract
This article aims to deepen the understandings about Brazilian secularization. It intends to reopen the public debate about secularism in Brazilian public schools nowadays. Moreover, it questions the purpose and the place of the Religious Teaching subject as part of the school curriculum in elementary school. This inquiry is inspired by a case study of a public school located in Santo André, São Paulo. The research arrived at three conclusions: first of all, the State should take responsibility in what concerns this theme; secondly, the discussion should be part and parcel of the teacher’s formation, and; finally, discussions and exchanges with foreign researchers about secularization may be enlightening for a better definition of the secular model in Brazil.
Keywords
secularism; religious teaching; religiosity; public school; Brazil