Education of recent history in Uruguay: Past and laicism in the game of the identity

Abstract

In 2004, the Frente Amplio (a leftist coalition) won the elections at Uruguay. Between the changes there was a revision of the military period, especially at the educational aspect: the school's teaching about dictatorship joined the main subjects of the agenda, with the advantages and problems of recent history teaching. From the incorporation of the recent history in Uruguay, it is discussed the notion of laicidadev (secularity) -that has a wide use on the public debate- as one of the strongest conditioning of the history teaching. It was analyzed two groups of individuals involved in this debate: the politicians of the traditional parties and history teachers. It allows to propose a revision of the laicidade notion, by maintaining its role of definition of a public space, but guaranteeing criteria that be public themselves, building it intersubjectively