The aim of this paper is to reconstruct the debate on the rural primary school education in São Paulo state in Brazil by examining the representations by educators published in periodic educational press as well as looking at initiatives carried out by public authorities. The analysis, at first, falls on problems and solutions for rural primary school education alluded to by different educators. Then, we analyze the contrasting conceptions from defenders of turning that ruralisation of school against those who defended a common curriculum to the rural primary school education as well. After that, we highlight the discussions over the training of the rural primary school teachers and, finally, we analyze the initiatives effectively put into practice by the São Paulo state government on the rural primary school education in the covered period of this study.
rural primary school education; history of rural education; policies for rural education; rural education in the brazilian State of São Paulo