São Paulo Overhauls High School Curriculum with Expanded Core Subjects, Fewer Tracks

The Tarcísio de Freitas government in 2024 eliminated São Paulo's 11 high school learning tracks, known as itinerários formativos, and replaced them with just three: Mathematics & Natural Sciences, Languages & Social Sciences, and Technical High School. The state resolution also significantly expanded core instructional time, increasing Portuguese language classes from 10 to 16 hours per week-including dedicated reading and writing periods-and mathematics from 10 to 17 hours, which now incorporates financial mathematics. Two new weekly classes on life project and financial education were added to the timetable [5].

Why the curriculum shift matters now

The restructuring was driven by the state government's intensification of what researchers call the “platformization” of education, a process that has been under way since at least 2020, according to academic analysis [1]. For families across São Paulo's 645 municipalities, the change means students are spending more time on core academic subjects and less on elective specialisations. The reduction from 11 to three tracks simplifies subject choices but also raises questions about whether students in technical or vocational streams will receive sufficient depth in their chosen field within the narrower framework.

For parents and guardians, the expanded hours in Portuguese and mathematics come at a time when household budgets are already tight. More school hours can translate into higher costs for textbooks, supplementary materials, and-for families that rely on after-school tutoring-potential savings if the school day now covers content previously outsourced to private lessons. The addition of financial education, which covers budgeting and basic money management, is explicitly designed to equip students with skills that reduce household financial stress over the long term [5].

What the policy means for São Paulo residents

Students at state-run high schools across the metropolitan region, from the central districts to neighbourhoods such as Jardins, Vila Mariana, and the Zona Leste, will now follow one of the three remaining tracks. Those enrolled in the Mathematics & Natural Sciences track will see the most hours devoted to quantitative subjects, while students in Languages & Social Sciences will have heavier exposure to humanities and communication skills. The Technical High School track is aimed at students seeking direct entry into the workforce after graduation and retains a focus on applied skills.

The state government says the new structure is expected to better align São Paulo's curriculum with the national Common Core (Base Nacional Comum Curricular), which sets minimum content standards for all Brazilian schools. The policy also responds to criticism that the previous system of 11 tracks was too fragmented, leading to wide variation in student preparedness for university entrance exams and the labour market.

However, some education researchers have raised concerns about the reduced choice for students. A 2024 study published in the journal Educação e Políticas em Debate noted that the “platformization” approach risks standardising instruction at the expense of local and community-specific educational needs [8]. The state has not yet released data on implementation costs or per-student spending under the new model, meaning families will have to wait to assess any direct impact on school budgets or resource availability.

The resolution takes full effect for the 2024 school year, with schools required to submit their adjusted curricula to the state education secretariat by the end of the first term. In the meantime, parent-teacher associations and school councils in neighbourhoods across São Paulo-including those in Pinheiros, Moema, and Santo Amaro-are meeting to discuss how the change will be rolled out at the classroom level. No further modifications to the track system have been announced, but the secretariat has indicated it will monitor student performance data over the next two years to determine whether additional adjustments are needed [5].