Environmental education and the Brazilian school context: current challenges, permanent reflections

Abstract

This text is an introduction to the dossier “Environmental Education and the Elementary and Secondary School - Contexts and Practices”. The dossier includes eight articles focused on this theme that discuss various perspectives, needs, means, and practices to conceive Environmental Education in diversity, with reflections, ideas, and objectives that promote plurality, as well as representativeness in the development of a more egalitarian, fair and sustainable society. The subjects covered in the dossier articles are divided into three main themes linked to Environmental Education: public policies and curriculum, teacher training, and practices carried out in the school context. The articles presented were produced by researchers from different Brazilian regions and the products of these researches show the variety and scope of thoughts and proposals, which characterizes Environmental Education as a polysemic field and capable of producing rich knowledge for our reflection on the challenges to be faced in the search to assist and value the training of citizens who develop a critical and transformative view concerning socioenvironmental issues.