Reflections on a discourse-cartographic basis regarding statements about the BNCC-EM

Abstract

This article, which aims to share the results of the author's doctoral research, analyzes the discursive disputes surrounding the Base Nacional Comum Curricular do Ensino Médio (BNCC-EM) from a theoretical-methodological perspective grounded in discourse analysis and Maingueneau's global semantics. The cartographic research examines the statements of privatist segments – Movimento pela Base, Todos Pela Educação, and Fundação Lemann – that played central roles in the development and implementation of the BNCC-EM, contrasting them with voices of counter-conduct. The privatist segments are analyzed regarding their linguistic-discursive strategies, such as deontic modalizers, silences, and the overvaluation of foreign experiences, which support the proposal of a standardized education aligned with corporate interests. Conversely, the counter-conduct discourses are explored as ethical-political resistances that deconstruct the self-proclaimed truths of privatist agents, highlighting the limitations and impacts of a homogeneous educational policy on the diversity of the Brazilian context. The study reveals how discourses mobilize devices of power and governability to naturalize the BNCC-EM while concealing underlying political and social tensions. The research offers a critical reflection on the relationship between language, power, and governance in educational policies, contributing to the debate on the challenges of public education in Brazil.