Educação e religião: tensionamentos entre laicidade e confessionalidade na educação básica no Brasil

Abstract

This undergraduate thesis analyzes the tensions between laicity and confessionalism in Brazilian basic education, considering their historical, legal, and pedagogical foundations. To this end, a qualitative bibliographic and documentary study was conducted, drawing on legislation, curricular documents, and theoretical frameworks that problematize the relationship among the State, religion, and the school. The investigation shows that although Brazil is constitutionally a secular State, public education retains historical marks of religious influence, expressed both in the regulation of Religious Education and in everyday school practices, shaping the phenomenon known as “Brazilian-style laicity.” The results reveal that the persistence of religious symbols, discourses, and confessional practices in schools strains the principle of state neutrality and may undermine ethical and civic education oriented toward diversity, freedom of conscience, and human rights. The study concludes that strengthening secular education requires investment in teacher training, oversight of pedagogical practices, and institutional commitment to pluralism and the promotion of a democratic public ethic