Anti-Standardization and Testing Opt-Out Movements in Education - Resistance, Disputes and Transformation

Oct 15, 2026

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Debate over standardized assessments has become a global agenda promoted by multilateral organizations, shaping early childhood education through neoliberal policy. The article analyzes how disputes for hegemony unfolded in Brazil, focusing on the Inter-Forum Movement of Early Childhood Education (MIEIB) during the Lula and Dilma administrations, when dialogue with the federal government allowed discussion of multiple ways to evaluate educational quality. That democratic relation later shifted to antagonism under Bolsonaro, seeking to extend tests to early childhood education.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Disputes around Assessments in Early Childhood Education in Brazil

Standardized Assessments, Neoliberal Context, and Curriculum Control

Resistance and Social Movements

Role of the MIEIB Across Federal Administrations

Current Antagonism and Expansion of Tests

SPECIAL ISSUE Anti-Standardization and Testing Opt-Out Movements in Education: Resistance, Disputes and Transformation education policy analysis archives A peer-reviewed, independent, open access, multilingual journal Arizona State University | Volume 30 Number 134 | September 6 , 2022 | ISSN 1068-2341 | | --- | --- | --- | Disputes around Assessments in Early Childhood Education in Brazil Cibele Maria Lima Rodrigues Joaquim Nabuco Foundation Brazil Karla Wanessa Carvalho de Almeida Federal University of Pernambuco Brazil & Patrícia Maria Uchôa Simões Joaquim Nabuco Foundation Brazil Citation: Rodrigues, C. M. L., Almeida, K. W. C., & Simões, P. M. U. (2022) . Disputes around assessments in early childhood education in Brazil. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 30 (134) . [https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.30.6456](https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.30.6456) This article is part of the special issue Testing Opt-out Movements: Resistance, Disputes and Transformation, guest edited by Javier Campos-Martínez, Alejandra Falabella, Jessica Holloway, and Diego Santori. Abstract: The debate around standardized assessments became a global agenda imposed by multilateral organizations. These tests, in the neoliberal context, impose an impoverishment of the curriculum and also strong control over the teaching work. On the other hand, it also causes resistance from social movements. This paper addresses this process of disputes for hegemony in the context of early childhood education in Brazil within the last few years. This research analyses the protagonism of the Inter-Forum Movement of Early Childhood Education in Brazil (MIEIB) in the context of the Workers’ Party administrations (Lula and Dilma) . During this period, the movement had an amicable relationship with the federal administrations, which opened discussions about different ways to evaluate educational quality, based on the discourse of the right to education. Currently, this democratic dialogue no longer exists and the relations between the movement and the federal administration has become antagonistic, as the Bolsonaro administration wishes extend tests to early childhood education. Keywords: standard assessment; hegemony; early childhood education; educational policy Disputas en torno a las evaluaciones en la educación infantil en Brasil Resumen: El debate sobre las evaluaciones estandarizadas se ha convertido en una agenda global impuesta por los organismos multilaterales. Estas pruebas, en el contexto neoliberal , imponen el empobrecimiento del currículo y aún el fuerte control del trabajo docente. Porotro lado, también provoca resistencias de los movimientos sociales. Este artículo aborda ese proceso de disputas por la hegemonía en el contexto de la Educación Infantil en Brasil (en los últimos años) . La investigación analiza el protagonismo del Movimiento Inter-Forode Educación Infantil en Brasil (MIEIB) en el contexto de los gobiernos del Partido de los Trabajadores (Lula y Dilma) . En ese período, el movimiento tuvo una relación de agonismo con la gestión federal que permitió discutir sobre diferentes formas de evaluar la calidad, a partir del discurso del derecho a la educación. Actualmente, este diálogo democrático no existe más y la relación entre el movimiento y el gobierno ha convertido en antagonismo. Además, la gestión de Bolsonaro quiere imponer los testes para laeducación infantil. Palabras-clave: evaluación estándar; hegemonía; educación de la primera infancia; política educativa Disputas em torno das avaliações na educação infantil no Brasil Resumo: O debate das avaliações padronizadas tornou-se uma agenda global impostapelas organizações multilaterais. Essas provas, no contexto do neoliberal, impõem oempobrecimento do currículo e ainda o forte controle do trabalho docente. Por outro lado, também causa resistência por parte dos movimentos sociais. Este artigo aborda esse processo de disputas por hegemonia no cont

FAQs

How do standardized assessments affect early childhood education in the article’s neoliberal context?

They impoverish the curriculum and strengthen control over teachers’ work, while also shaping the political agenda through global influence.

Which movement is analyzed in the disputes over educational assessment in Brazil?

The article analyzes the protagonism of the Inter-Forum Movement of Early Childhood Education in Brazil (MIEIB).

How did the relationship between the MIEIB and federal administrations change over time?

During Lula and Dilma, the movement had an amicable relationship that enabled discussions on evaluating educational quality; under Bolsonaro, relations became antagonistic as the government sought to extend tests to early childhood education.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by acoobca