School heritage and scientific-historical heritage in Brazil: some notes

Abstract

The study of educational heritage has been gaining interest over recent decades in different countries. In Brazil, several studies have focused on material culture and its use in the course of understanding the history of education. This article discusses aspects pertaining to educational heritage, highlighting, with regards to Brazil, associations, projects, institutions and research groups related to the preservation and study of this heritage. It also presents considerations regarding old objects that were to be used in the teaching of science subjects, and it lists researches that have been published on the subject. This paper further emphasizes the discovery of collections of instruments that hold historical value, and it focuses on specific examples found in São Paulo State schools. Furthermore, it defends the establishment of an agenda focused on the protection of educational heritage, and the inclusion of different actors in the preservation effort.