The First Competitive Examinations for Teacher Selection: The Construction of Order without Didactics
Author(s)
Eurize Caldas Pessanh*
ABSTRACT
The main purpose of this article is to analyze the competitive examinations (concursos) developed for the hiring of public school teachers in Brazil in the XIX century. An analysis of these competitive examinations explaining the characteristics that the government required of people whom it wished to hire as teachers represents an important approach to recovering the history of teachers, which the history of teacher training programs and Didactics itself seems to hide. The research on which this article is based has the goal of discussing the history of the subject from the standpoint of analyzing the exams for teacher selection, namely the content, skills, and characteristics required of an individual to be hired as a teacher in a public school. Considering that Didactics is the subject from which future professionals acquire everything that they must know and the skills necessary to be a professional, we dig into the history of this school subject related to the history of Normal Schools (teacher training schools) in Brazil. We also present the analysis of the competitive examinations for teacher selection, considering the content, skills, and characteristics required for an individual to be hired as a teacher in a public school. In our attempt to analyze this process, we highlight legislative acts from 1809 to 1880 related to the hiring of teachers in the Primitivo Moacyr collection. These sources contain the respective exams and procedural documents for the following years: 1876, 1878, 1881, 1883, 1884, 1885, and 1886. All evidence appears to indicate that although the competitive examinations, including all official apparatus, were conducted as a matter of appearances only, their legitimacy was still provisional, as suggested by both the procedural documents and some legal documents. We conclude that the knowledge required to hire teachers was not Didactics but behavior because, in countries such as Brazil where the “welfare state” was never completely constructed, the school served as the first “reception room” of the state, and the elementary school teacher, always a woman, was the “receptionist”.
The main purpose of this article is to analyze the competitive examinations (concursos) developed for the hiring of public school teachers in Brazil in the XIX century. An analysis of these competitive examinations explaining the characteristics that the government required of people whom it wished to hire as teachers represents an important approach to recovering the history of teachers, which the history of teacher training programs and Didactics itself seems to hide. The research on which this article is based has the goal of discussing the history of the subject from the standpoint of analyzing the exams for teacher selection, namely the content, skills, and characteristics required of an individual to be hired as a teacher in a public school. Considering that Didactics is the subject from which future professionals acquire everything that they must know and the skills necessary to be a professional, we dig into the history of this school subject related to the history of Normal Schools (teacher training schools) in Brazil. We also present the analysis of the competitive examinations for teacher selection, considering the content, skills, and characteristics required for an individual to be hired as a teacher in a public school. In our attempt to analyze this process, we highlight legislative acts from 1809 to 1880 related to the hiring of teachers in the Primitivo Moacyr collection. These sources contain the respective exams and procedural documents for the following years: 1876, 1878, 1881, 1883, 1884, 1885, and 1886. All evidence appears to indicate that although the competitive examinations, including all official apparatus, were conducted as a matter of appearances only, their legitimacy was still provisional, as suggested by both the procedural documents and some legal documents. We conclude that the knowledge required to hire teachers was not Didactics but behavior because, in countries such as Brazil where the “welfare state” was never completely constructed, the school served as the first “reception room” of the state, and the elementary school teacher, always a woman, was the “receptionist”.
Cite this paper
Pessanh, E. (2014) The First Competitive Examinations for Teacher Selection: The Construction of Order without Didactics. Creative Education, 5, 913-923. doi: 10.4236/ce.2014.511104.
Pessanh, E. (2014) The First Competitive Examinations for Teacher Selection: The Construction of Order without Didactics. Creative Education, 5, 913-923. doi: 10.4236/ce.2014.511104.
References
[1] Agricultural Congress (1988). Congresso Agricola do Rio de Janeiro: Collecção de documentos [Agricultural Congress of Rio de Janeiro: Collection of Documents] . Rio de Janeiro: Fundação Casa de Rui Barbosa, Ed fac-similar. [2] Asche, E. (1997). Curto-circuito do saber: O ensino de Lingua Portuguesa na rede pública estadual paulista na década de 70 [Short Circuit of Knowledge: The Teaching of Portuguese Language in the São Paulo State Public Network in the 1970s] . Ph.D. Thesis, São Paulo: PUC/SP. [3] Bernstein, B. (1996). A estruturação do discurso pedagógico: Classe, códigos e controle [The structuring of pedagogic discourse: class, codes and control] . Petrópolis: Vozes. [4] Bittencourt, C. M. F. (1993). Livro didático e conhecimento histórico: Uma história de saber escolar [Textbook and Historical Knowledge: A History of School Knowledge] . Ph.D. Thesis, São Paulo: FFLCH/USP. [5] Carvalho, J. M. (1980). A construção da ordem: A elite politica imperial [The Construction of Order: The Imperial Political Elite] . Rio de Janeiro: Campus. [6] Carvalho, J. M. (1990). A formação das almas: O imaginário da república no Brasil [The Molding of Souls: The Imagery of the Republic in Brazil] . São Paulo: Companhia das Letras. [7] Chervel, A. (1993). Histoire de l’agrégation: Contribuition à l’histoire de la culture scolaire [History of Aggregation: Contribution to the History of the School Culture] . Paris: INRP/Éditions Kimé. [8] Collins, R. (1989). Femmes, stratification sociale et production de la culture [Women, Social Stratification and Production of Culture]. Sociologie et Societés. Paris (XXI), 2, 27-45. [9] Comenius, J. (1985). A didática magna [Didactica Magna] . Lisboa: Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian. [10] Fendler, L. (1998). What Is It Impossible to Think? A Genealogy of the Educated Subject. In T. S. Popkewitz, & M. Brennan (Eds.), Foucault’s Challenge: Discourse, Knowledge, and Power in Education. New York: Teachers College Press. [11] Gonçalves, R., Bastos, A. V., & Rodrigues, L. S. (1959). Compêndio de pedagogia. (de acordo com os programas do Concurso de Ingresso ao Magistério e das Escolas Normais) [Compendium of Pedagogy. (According to the Programs of the Competitive Examination for Teacher Positions and of the Teacher-Training Schools] . Rio de Janeiro: Freitas Bastos. [12] Hamilton, D. (2001). Notes from Nowhere: On the Beginnings of Modern Schooling. In T. S. Popkewitz, B. M. Franklin, & M. A. Pereyra (Eds.), Cultural History and Education: Critical Essays on Knowledge and Schooling (pp. 187-206). New York: Routledge Falmer. [13] Julia, D. (2001). A cultura escolar como objeto histórico [The School Culture as an Historical Object]. Revista Brasileira de História da Educação, Campinas, 1, 9-43. [14] Moacyr, P. (1936a). A instrução e o império (Subsidios para a história da Educação no Brasil), 1823 a 1853 [Education and the Empire (Contributions to the History of Education in Brazil, 1823 to 1853)] . São Paulo: Companhia Editora Nacional. [15] Moacyr, P. (1936b). A instrução e o império (Subsidios para a história da Educação no Brasil), 1854 a 1889 [Education and the Empire (Contributions to the History of Education in Brazil, 1854 to 1889)] . São Paulo: Companhia Editora Nacional. [16] Monarcha, C. (1994). Escola Normal da praça: O lado noturno das luzes [Teacher-Training School of Praça da República: The Dark Side of Lights] . Ph.D. Thesis, São Paulo: PUC. [17] Offe, C. (1990). Sistema educacional, sistema ocupacional e politica da educação: Contribuição à determinação das funções sociais do sistema educacional [Education System, Occupational System and Education Policies: Contribution to the Determination of the Social Functions of the Education System]. Educação e Sociedade, 13, 9-59. [18] Oliveira, F. (1998). Os direitos do antivalor. A economia politica da hegemonia imperfeita [The Rights of the Anti-Value: The Economic Policy of the Imperfect Hegemony] . Petrópolis: Editora Vozes. [19] Pessanha, E. C. (1994). Ascensão e queda do professor [The Rise and Fall of the Teacher] . São Paulo: Cortez. [20] Pessanha, E. C. (2000). Os primeiros concursos de seleção de professores: A construção da ordem sem Didática [The First Competitive Examinations for the Selection of Teachers: A Construction of the Order without Didactics]. In A. C. do N. Osório (Org.), Registros de Educação [Records of Education] (pp. 103-124). Campo Grande: Editora da UFMS. [21] Pessanha, E. C., & De Oliveira, S. S. (2011). A cultura humanista e a cultura cientifica na história de disciplinas escolares de uma escola secundária (1939-1971) [The Humanistic Culture and the Scientific Culture in the History of School Subjects in a Secondary School (1939-1971)]. Cadernos de Pesquisa em Educação PPGE-UFES, 17, 102-121. [22] Pessanha, E. C., Daniel, M. E. B., & Menegazzo, M. A. (2004). Da história das disciplinas escolares à história da cultura escolar: Uma trajetória de pesquisa [From the History of School Subjects to the History of School Culture: A Research Path]. Revista Brasileira de Educação, 57-69.
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1413-24782004000300005&lng=en&tlng=pt [23] Pessanha, E. C., Oliveira, S., & Assis, W. (2011). Muito além de papéis velhos: Fontes para história de disciplinas escolares armazenadas em um arquivo escolar [Far beyond Old Papers: Sources of the History of School Subjects Stored in a School Archive]. Revista Educação em Questão (UFRN. Impresso), 41, 164-191. [24] Popkewitz, T. S. (1997). The Formation of School Subjects. The Struggle for Creating American Institution. Philadelphia, PA: The Falmer Press. [25] Popkewitz, T. S., & Fendler, L. (1999). Critical Theories in Education: Changing Terrains and Politics. New York: Routledge. [26] Puentes, R. V., Aquino, O. F., & Quillici Neto, A. (2009). Profissionalização dos professores: Conhecimentos, saberes e competências necessários à docência [Professionalization of Professors: Knowledge, Wisdom and Necessary Abilities to Teaching]. Educar em Revista, 169-184.
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0104-40602009000200010&lng=en&tlng=pt
http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0104-40602009000200010 [27] Saes, D. (1984). Classe média e sistema politico no Brasil [Middle Class and Political System in Brazil] . São Paulo: T.A. Queiroz. [28] Sampaio. M. M. F. (1997). Um gosto amargo de escola: Relações entre curriculo, ensino e fracasso escolar [A Bitter Taste of School: Relationships between Curriculum, Education and School Failure] . Ph.D. Thesis, São Paulo: PUC/SP. [29] Santos, L. L. (1990). História das disciplinas escolares: Perspectivas de análise [History of School Subjects: Analytical Perspectives]. Teoria e Educação [Theory and Education], 2, 21-29. [30] Santos, L. L. (1995). História das disciplinas escolares: Outras perspectivas de análise [History of School Subjects: Other Analytical Perspectives]. Educação e Realidade [Education and Reality], 20, 60-68. [31] Saviani, N. (1994). Saber escolar, curriculo e didática: Problemas da unidade conteúdos/método, no processo pedagógico [School Knowledge, Curriculum and Didactics: Problems Related to the Content/Method Unity in the Pedagogic Process] . Campinas: Autores Associados. [32] Silva, R. N. (1991). Formação de Professores no Brasil: Um estudo analitico e bibliográfico [Training of Teachers in Brazil: An Analytical and Bibliographic Study] . São Paulo: Fundação Carlos Chagas. [33] Soares, M. B. (1985). Didática: Uma disciplina em busca de sua identidade [Didactics: A Discipline in Search of an Identity]. ANDE-Revista da Associação Nacional de Educação, 5, 39-42. [34] Tanuri, L. (1969). Contribuição para o estudo da Escola Normal Brasileira [Contribution to the Study of Brazilian Teacher-Training Schools] . Ph.D. Thesis, São Paulo: FFCL-USP. [35] Vidal, D. G. (1966). Arte prática ou ciência aplicada: O discurso pedagógico e a formação docente [Practical Art of Applied Science: The Pedagogic Discourse and the Training of Teachers]. In S. Gvirtz (Comp.), Escuela nueva en Argentina y Brasil: Visiones comparadas [New School in Argentina and Brazil: Comparative Views] (pp. 89-124). Buenos Aires: Mino y Dávila Editores.
[1] Agricultural Congress (1988). Congresso Agricola do Rio de Janeiro: Collecção de documentos [Agricultural Congress of Rio de Janeiro: Collection of Documents] . Rio de Janeiro: Fundação Casa de Rui Barbosa, Ed fac-similar. [2] Asche, E. (1997). Curto-circuito do saber: O ensino de Lingua Portuguesa na rede pública estadual paulista na década de 70 [Short Circuit of Knowledge: The Teaching of Portuguese Language in the São Paulo State Public Network in the 1970s] . Ph.D. Thesis, São Paulo: PUC/SP. [3] Bernstein, B. (1996). A estruturação do discurso pedagógico: Classe, códigos e controle [The structuring of pedagogic discourse: class, codes and control] . Petrópolis: Vozes. [4] Bittencourt, C. M. F. (1993). Livro didático e conhecimento histórico: Uma história de saber escolar [Textbook and Historical Knowledge: A History of School Knowledge] . Ph.D. Thesis, São Paulo: FFLCH/USP. [5] Carvalho, J. M. (1980). A construção da ordem: A elite politica imperial [The Construction of Order: The Imperial Political Elite] . Rio de Janeiro: Campus. [6] Carvalho, J. M. (1990). A formação das almas: O imaginário da república no Brasil [The Molding of Souls: The Imagery of the Republic in Brazil] . São Paulo: Companhia das Letras. [7] Chervel, A. (1993). Histoire de l’agrégation: Contribuition à l’histoire de la culture scolaire [History of Aggregation: Contribution to the History of the School Culture] . Paris: INRP/Éditions Kimé. [8] Collins, R. (1989). Femmes, stratification sociale et production de la culture [Women, Social Stratification and Production of Culture]. Sociologie et Societés. Paris (XXI), 2, 27-45. [9] Comenius, J. (1985). A didática magna [Didactica Magna] . Lisboa: Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian. [10] Fendler, L. (1998). What Is It Impossible to Think? A Genealogy of the Educated Subject. In T. S. Popkewitz, & M. Brennan (Eds.), Foucault’s Challenge: Discourse, Knowledge, and Power in Education. New York: Teachers College Press. [11] Gonçalves, R., Bastos, A. V., & Rodrigues, L. S. (1959). Compêndio de pedagogia. (de acordo com os programas do Concurso de Ingresso ao Magistério e das Escolas Normais) [Compendium of Pedagogy. (According to the Programs of the Competitive Examination for Teacher Positions and of the Teacher-Training Schools] . Rio de Janeiro: Freitas Bastos. [12] Hamilton, D. (2001). Notes from Nowhere: On the Beginnings of Modern Schooling. In T. S. Popkewitz, B. M. Franklin, & M. A. Pereyra (Eds.), Cultural History and Education: Critical Essays on Knowledge and Schooling (pp. 187-206). New York: Routledge Falmer. [13] Julia, D. (2001). A cultura escolar como objeto histórico [The School Culture as an Historical Object]. Revista Brasileira de História da Educação, Campinas, 1, 9-43. [14] Moacyr, P. (1936a). A instrução e o império (Subsidios para a história da Educação no Brasil), 1823 a 1853 [Education and the Empire (Contributions to the History of Education in Brazil, 1823 to 1853)] . São Paulo: Companhia Editora Nacional. [15] Moacyr, P. (1936b). A instrução e o império (Subsidios para a história da Educação no Brasil), 1854 a 1889 [Education and the Empire (Contributions to the History of Education in Brazil, 1854 to 1889)] . São Paulo: Companhia Editora Nacional. [16] Monarcha, C. (1994). Escola Normal da praça: O lado noturno das luzes [Teacher-Training School of Praça da República: The Dark Side of Lights] . Ph.D. Thesis, São Paulo: PUC. [17] Offe, C. (1990). Sistema educacional, sistema ocupacional e politica da educação: Contribuição à determinação das funções sociais do sistema educacional [Education System, Occupational System and Education Policies: Contribution to the Determination of the Social Functions of the Education System]. Educação e Sociedade, 13, 9-59. [18] Oliveira, F. (1998). Os direitos do antivalor. A economia politica da hegemonia imperfeita [The Rights of the Anti-Value: The Economic Policy of the Imperfect Hegemony] . Petrópolis: Editora Vozes. [19] Pessanha, E. C. (1994). Ascensão e queda do professor [The Rise and Fall of the Teacher] . São Paulo: Cortez. [20] Pessanha, E. C. (2000). Os primeiros concursos de seleção de professores: A construção da ordem sem Didática [The First Competitive Examinations for the Selection of Teachers: A Construction of the Order without Didactics]. In A. C. do N. Osório (Org.), Registros de Educação [Records of Education] (pp. 103-124). Campo Grande: Editora da UFMS. [21] Pessanha, E. C., & De Oliveira, S. S. (2011). A cultura humanista e a cultura cientifica na história de disciplinas escolares de uma escola secundária (1939-1971) [The Humanistic Culture and the Scientific Culture in the History of School Subjects in a Secondary School (1939-1971)]. Cadernos de Pesquisa em Educação PPGE-UFES, 17, 102-121. [22] Pessanha, E. C., Daniel, M. E. B., & Menegazzo, M. A. (2004). Da história das disciplinas escolares à história da cultura escolar: Uma trajetória de pesquisa [From the History of School Subjects to the History of School Culture: A Research Path]. Revista Brasileira de Educação, 57-69.
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1413-24782004000300005&lng=en&tlng=pt [23] Pessanha, E. C., Oliveira, S., & Assis, W. (2011). Muito além de papéis velhos: Fontes para história de disciplinas escolares armazenadas em um arquivo escolar [Far beyond Old Papers: Sources of the History of School Subjects Stored in a School Archive]. Revista Educação em Questão (UFRN. Impresso), 41, 164-191. [24] Popkewitz, T. S. (1997). The Formation of School Subjects. The Struggle for Creating American Institution. Philadelphia, PA: The Falmer Press. [25] Popkewitz, T. S., & Fendler, L. (1999). Critical Theories in Education: Changing Terrains and Politics. New York: Routledge. [26] Puentes, R. V., Aquino, O. F., & Quillici Neto, A. (2009). Profissionalização dos professores: Conhecimentos, saberes e competências necessários à docência [Professionalization of Professors: Knowledge, Wisdom and Necessary Abilities to Teaching]. Educar em Revista, 169-184.
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0104-40602009000200010&lng=en&tlng=pt
http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0104-40602009000200010 [27] Saes, D. (1984). Classe média e sistema politico no Brasil [Middle Class and Political System in Brazil] . São Paulo: T.A. Queiroz. [28] Sampaio. M. M. F. (1997). Um gosto amargo de escola: Relações entre curriculo, ensino e fracasso escolar [A Bitter Taste of School: Relationships between Curriculum, Education and School Failure] . Ph.D. Thesis, São Paulo: PUC/SP. [29] Santos, L. L. (1990). História das disciplinas escolares: Perspectivas de análise [History of School Subjects: Analytical Perspectives]. Teoria e Educação [Theory and Education], 2, 21-29. [30] Santos, L. L. (1995). História das disciplinas escolares: Outras perspectivas de análise [History of School Subjects: Other Analytical Perspectives]. Educação e Realidade [Education and Reality], 20, 60-68. [31] Saviani, N. (1994). Saber escolar, curriculo e didática: Problemas da unidade conteúdos/método, no processo pedagógico [School Knowledge, Curriculum and Didactics: Problems Related to the Content/Method Unity in the Pedagogic Process] . Campinas: Autores Associados. [32] Silva, R. N. (1991). Formação de Professores no Brasil: Um estudo analitico e bibliográfico [Training of Teachers in Brazil: An Analytical and Bibliographic Study] . São Paulo: Fundação Carlos Chagas. [33] Soares, M. B. (1985). Didática: Uma disciplina em busca de sua identidade [Didactics: A Discipline in Search of an Identity]. ANDE-Revista da Associação Nacional de Educação, 5, 39-42. [34] Tanuri, L. (1969). Contribuição para o estudo da Escola Normal Brasileira [Contribution to the Study of Brazilian Teacher-Training Schools] . Ph.D. Thesis, São Paulo: FFCL-USP. [35] Vidal, D. G. (1966). Arte prática ou ciência aplicada: O discurso pedagógico e a formação docente [Practical Art of Applied Science: The Pedagogic Discourse and the Training of Teachers]. In S. Gvirtz (Comp.), Escuela nueva en Argentina y Brasil: Visiones comparadas [New School in Argentina and Brazil: Comparative Views] (pp. 89-124). Buenos Aires: Mino y Dávila Editores.