Health in school: an examination of the reference documents for the forty years of compulsory health programs, 1971-2011

Health is a traditional subject in Brazilian school curriculums, and is evident in teaching materials since the end of the nineteenth century. Taking as its starting point the establishment of compulsory development of health programs in 1971, this article aims to examine certain official documents which sought to set out guidelines for health education in schools, as regards the actual conception of health, the objectives to be achieved, and the role of health studies in the general education of pupils. The analysis highlights an important lack of reference points for regulating health education in schools, and points out ideas which have remained unaltered, despite the social changes and theoretical advances that have occurred during the period.