Abstract
In the last quarter of the 19th century, the Brazilian Empire was confronted by certain political, economic, and social issues, which shook its consolidated structures, threatening its stability. In this scenario, the imperial government, through a complex network of institutions and devices, sought alternatives to balance the monarchical regime, guaranteeing its permanence. Among the many investments implemented in the period, Decree N° 7247 (1879), which reformed the three levels of education, primary and secondary in the city of Corte and higher education throughout the Empire, stands out. Attentive to public primary education, we scrutinized certain senses and meanings attributed to compulsory education, gratuity, secularism and freedom of teaching in this educational legislation. Thus, some civilizing perspectives of reform of the imperial society were indicted, converging the government of the school with the government of the population. Therefore, it is understood that, by means of educational reform, an effort was made to establish a possible school, in the midst of the conditions, circumstances, and events of that present time.
Keywords:
Imperial Education; Primary Public Education; Educational Reform; Brazilian Empire