EAD SOB VIGILÂNCIA: TENSÕES DA QUALIDADE E O NOVO REGIME REGULATÓRIO NO ENSINO SUPERIOR

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.80225250912

• Palavras-chave: Educação a Distância. Ensino Superior. Qualidade da Educação. Regulação Educacional. Inclusão Digital. Mercantilização da Educação.

• Keywords: Distance Education. Higher Education. Education Quality. Educational Regulation. Digital Inclusion. Commodification of Education.

• Abstract: This article critically analyzes the new regulatory framework for Distance Education (EaD) in Brazilian higher education, established by Decree No. 12.456/2025 and regulated by MEC Ordinances No. 378, 381, and 506 of 2025. The new legal framework seeks to correct historical distortions in the provision of EaD by setting parameters for the composition of in-person and online workloads, defining requirements for faculty qualifications, and regulating the infrastructure of support centers and the use of virtual learning environments. Among the advances, noteworthy aspects include the definition of minimum percentages of in-person activities according to fields of knowledge (Ordinance No. 378/2025), the exclusivity of face-to-face delivery for programs such as Medicine, Psychology, Nursing, Law, and Dentistry, and the mandatory requirement of in-person assessments and extension activities, provided for in Decree No. 12.456/2025 and detailed in Ordinance No. 506/2025. Despite these advances, it is argued that the new framework maintains traits of the mercantilist logic that guided the expansion of EaD in Brazil, focusing on the expansion of supply and the flexibilization of teaching formats, without sufficiently addressing challenges related to equity, inclusion, and formative quality. This article proposes pedagogical and operational arrangements that go beyond the vision of education as a commodity, reaffirming EaD as a critical, inclusive, and socially grounded space. The debate on quality is understood as a contested field between economic interests and social commitments, making it essential to adopt emancipatory pedagogical practices and public policies that guarantee the right to education in the digital environment.