The high school reform and its implications for Physics teaching in Brazil

Abstract

This article examines the reform of Brazilian high school education and its consequences for Physics teaching, tracing the trajectory of curricular policies for this stage, from Law 13.415/2017 to Law 14.945/2024. Through qualitative bibliographic and documentary research, it analyses legal frameworks, official documents and specialized literature that place curricular reorganization within the dispute between economic interests and the social function of schooling. It argues that the flexibilization introduced in 2017, by expanding the school workload without matching funding and by diluting the Natural Sciences components, weakened scientific education. The 2024 revision, although it restores the common general education, retains structural tensions. The study concludes that Physics teaching depends on material conditions, qualified teacher education and a curriculum that articulates competencies and context.