ABSTRACT
The first version of the Base Nacional Comum Curricular (BNCC) [Common National Curriculum Base] of History for Elementary School was the cause of intense controversy. It chose to shift the focus away from Eurocentric formulas of Brazilian history, deepening its ties with Amerindian and African origins, which restricted the space for ancient and medieval history, for example. The document was the target of a diverse combination of devastating criticism not only from publishers and authors of textbooks, conservative politicians, religious fundamentalists and sensationalist journalists but also from academic associations and individual historians. Published after the coup of 2016, the second and third versions were less innovative than the previous curriculum proposal, the 1990s Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais [National Curricular Parameters]. The objective of this critical essay is to revisit this debate and observe significant patterns on the problematic relationship between historians and the world of the classroom and educational policy, starting from the hypothesis that the sociocultural context we are settled, of progressive polarization in all fields and themes, has adversely affected the curricular debate. Lastly, we propose some general lines to solve the problems that emerged from the discussed process.
Keywords:
Curriculum; History teaching; Eurocentrism; BNCC