Environmental Education in Public Policies in Paraná: A Critical Analysis of Institutional Discourse

Abstract

The objective of this article is to analyze the treatment afforded to Environmental Education within public policies in the State of Paraná, focusing on the State Education Plan (2015-2025), the State Environmental Education Program (2022), and the State Water Resources Plan (2010). This study adopts a qualitative and documentary approach, guided by Critical Discourse Analysis and supported by the triangulation of institutional grey literature, which enables the identification of explicit meanings and silences within the examined documents. The findings indicate normative and structural advances, accompanied by distinct forms of recognition of Environmental Education: the State Education Plan exhibits a legalistic and declaratory orientation; the State Environmental Education Program introduces mechanisms for social participation, continuing teacher education, and collaborative planning; and the State Water Resources Plan incorporates a territorial perspective, although still weakly connected to the educational system. Environmental Education in Paraná appears to be in a process of consolidation, marked by the coexistence of significant initiatives and persistent weaknesses in the articulation among educational, environmental, and territorial policies. The results suggest that strengthening Environmental Education requires sustained integration between public planning, teacher training, funding, and social participation, ensuring that sustainability principles transcend discursive commitments and are translated into critical and context-based educational practices.