Abstract
This paper discusses the quality of basic education legitimized by the external evaluation and publicized by the Basic Education Development Index (IDEB) - an index that combines the performance of students in the assessment and the school flow, culminating with the establishment of an objective parameter (grade) that aims to reflect the Brazilian educational quality. The arguments are based on the premise that these two elements are incipient to determine the quality of education in the country without taking into account other factors that affect quality, namely: socio-economic and cultural level of the students, teacher training, enhancement of teaching, tangible and intangible working conditions, school management, school infrastructure, supplies, etc. The reflection leading to the debate on the lack of evidence to establish the quality of education travels the ways of the external evaluation in Brazil, the technical rationality of the school management referenced primarily by the IDEB and its governance to achieve the goals determined by this index. The purpose of this essay is to contribute to the current debate on the IDEB as a proposer and mobilizer of policies for the Brazilian public schools.
Keywords
Management; Public school; Educational quality; External evaluation