Political Polarization and Sexual Education in São Paulo’s Municipal Schools

In recent years, political polarization has intensified in Brazil, especially regarding issues related to human rights. Sexual and reproductive rights, as well as topics related to gender, have suffered backlash since 2014, driven by far-right movements and religious fundamentalism in the country. The advance of this conservative agenda, along with the rise of a populist government, has hindered the implementation of sexual education in schools and increased insecurity among education professionals. This paper aims to analyze how teachers in São Paulo’s municipal public school system have conducted sexual education classes within a politically polarized context. Twenty semi-structured interviews were carried out with elementary school teachers in order to understand their strategies in facing this scenario. The theoretical framework addresses political polarization and street-level bureaucracy (SLB), focusing on discretion as a central element in the work of these professionals. The results show that most teachers did not change the content or approach of their sexual education classes, despite political discourses and pressures that contradict scientific guidelines concerning the sexual rights of young people and adolescents. In this sense, the study highlights how teachers play an active role in resisting conservatism, using strategies that ensure the continuity of sexual education. This resistance directly contributes to the preservation of democracy and students’ sexual and reproductive rights.