Strong, intermediate and weak pupils: the teaching of mathematics in elementary schools in the state of Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract

This paper aims to discuss the interpretations of the Escola Nova ideas by the managing bodies of the elementary education of Rio Grande do Sul, state of Brazil, during the 1940s and 1950s. The discussion takes into account the apparent contradiction between the alledged adoption of the Escola Nova precepts and the high repetition and dropout rates at that time. Through the analysis of the documents published during that period, it is argued that the orientation of using active methods, of valuing the pupils‟ experience, and of stimulating their creativity criss-crossed with the scientificist rationale, which intended to measure and compare the efficacy of teaching. By the means of statistics and the so-called “objective tests”, the pupils‟ and teachers‟ performances were evaluated and classified. Pupils and teachers were blamed for their failure, and Mathematics played an important role in this process, since it was the discipline with the highest failure rate.