high school reform in the state of rio grande do sul (brazil): alignments and resistances

In this article, we present an analysis of the first steps on the implementation of the Brazilian High School reform (Law no. 13.415/2017) in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, between September 2016 and December 2018. Based on Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of field, we examined strategies and positions of two agents in the educational field: the State Department of Education and the State Council on Education. Through a document analysis we found the state Department aligned to the Ministry of Education guidelines, reproducing education concepts bound to hegemonic interests in the economic field. Whereas the state Council pursued a resistance strategy, initially rejecting the content of Provisional Measure no. 746/2016, but after it became law, by resisting within the norm, playing the game within the field to minimize its impacts on students.