The USAID and the teaching of mathematics in Rio Grande do Norte

Abstract

In the 1960s occurred great changes in the general education and, specially in the mathematical teaching, throughout Brazil. Besides the Law “Diretrizes e Bases” for Education (law 4024/1961), such changes also was occurred by opposite educational movements. In one side, those ones that valorized the popular education and culture and, for the other side, the international agreements between universities and government organs, like SUDENE and MEC, with United States Agency for International Development (USAID). These agreements purposed the cultural alignment. In this article we will expose some of these agreements and their interference in two courses for teachers´ education. These teachers taught mathematics for the elementary school, in Rio Grande do Norte. Keywords: Teacher Education. USAID. Modern Mathematics Movement.