Prescribed textbooks in private education systems and illusory autonomy: reflections based on José Contreras’ theory

Abstract: This theoretical essay discusses teaching autonomy regarding the use of prescribed textbooks in private education system (Sistemas Apostilados de Ensino, acronymed SAEs in Portuguese). In favor of teachers, it is argued that these conditions subject their work to be under the supervision of both the institution and the company, which then shuns them from the intellectual, reflexive and critical aspects of the profession and brings them closer to the technical professional model. Thus, these systems do more than inform teaching practice, they add to the devaluation of teaching, robbing all of the school community of the protagonism in the development of the educational process. Still, since it is evident that many teachers in the field’s literature advocate for the use of SAE’s, this essay sought in Contreras (2012) the concept of illusory autonomy to try to explain such positions. It should be noted that the support of teacher to a system that controls them meets La Boétie's concept of voluntary servitude. Therefore, the main conclusion herein is that SAE’s continue to grow with the support of those under their control.

Keywords:
prescribed textbooks in private education systems; teacher as technician; teacher’s autonomy