This paper purports to explain the authoritative political discourse on education in Brazil, as well as its materialization into the post-1964 educational policies. Although it is mainly concerned with the period inaugurated by the 1964 civil-military coup, we had to back into history until the 1930s. We could then unveil the constitution process of a social instituting imaginary concerning the role of the military, especially the Army, in the country's development. As time went by, anchored on the motto order and progress, a military way of thinking began to take shape. It considered the Brazilian society and State needed to develop the country as well as the education required to back up the project men in uniform envisioned for the nation. From this standpoint, military intervention in politics, especially after the establishment of the New State (1937-1945), was Salvationist and conservative in nature. Throughout the 1937-1964 period, an idea grew in importance among the military: the role of the Army, beyond its headquarters, was to educate people.
Brazil; Military authoritarianism; Political discourse; Education