Currículo prescrito e currículo praticado: as datas comemorativas e o trabalho educativo na escola

Abstract

This article aims to analyse the role of commemorative dates in the organisation of the curriculum within the context of educational institutions, discussing their relationship with the prescribed curriculum, the curriculum as implemented in practice, and the organisation of educational work. This is a theoretical and bibliographical study, drawing on authors in the fields of curriculum studies and historical-critical pedagogy, as well as research investigating the presence of commemorative dates in everyday school life. The study discusses the curriculum as a social construct and an intentional practice, influenced by cultural aspects and by the pedagogical choices made in everyday school life. It is argued that commemorative dates, as practices historically present in school culture, directly influence the organisation of pedagogical activities; when implemented uncritically, they can either facilitate relevant contextualisation or lead to fragmentation of content and disruptions to the continuity of teaching. It is concluded that the central role assumed by these practices in the curriculum in practice highlights tensions between school tradition, pedagogical planning and the social function of the school, reinforcing the importance of linking school practices to the school’s educational objectives, namely the socialisation of systematised knowledge, with a view to students’ development.