Oriented by the theory of gender relations, this paper examines the main legislation and federal plans and programs, which specify the national guidelines for the public education policies in Brazil. More attention for the purpose of analysis was given to documents such as the Brazilian Federal Constitution (CF/1988), the New Act of Guidelines of Education, (LDB/1996), the National Education Plan, Act n. 10.172 (PNE/2001) and the National Curricular Parameters for the Elementary School (PCN/1997). Taking the viewpoint of gender to analyze such policies enables us to evaluate how they can make more easier or difficult the acquisition of democratic standards, as the public education policy is neither neutral nor free of prejudices, such as gender prejudice.
EDUCATIONAL POLICIES; GENDER RELATIONSHIP; SEXUALITY; SEX DIFFERENCES