Abstract:
This dissertation is part of the research line, Education, Institutions and Educational
Policies (EIPE) of the Graduate Program in Education (Stricto Sensu) at the Faculty
of Inhumas – FacMais. This study aims to show the trajectory of Educational Policies
developed for Youth and Adult Education (EJA) in our country, weaving a reflection
on schooling and the challenges faced by this type of education. Studying the
dynamics of public policies aimed at EJA is fundamental for understanding the
proposition and offer of schooling for young people and adults in the country. The
specific objectives are: to analyze the trajectory of EJA in Brazil from the 1930s
onwards; show how EJA, throughout its trajectory, has become a guaranteed right;
understand the influence of International Organizations (IO) in the direction of
Brazilian education, consequently of EJA; identify the main challenges faced by EJA
in its trajectory up to the present day with the worsening of the Covid-19 pandemic.
This work is based on reflections on questions such as: How was the trajectory of
EJA in Brazil from the 1930s to the present day? What are the external and internal
influences suffered by EJA? What are the main challenges faced by EJA? Therefore,
this research is qualitative, bibliographical and documentary. Based on studies by
Arroyo (2017), Costa and Machado (2017), Barcelos and Dantas (2015), Silva and
Pereira (2015), Paiva (2015), Catelli Júnior, Haddad and Ribeiro (2014), Jardilino
and Araújo ( 2014), Leite (2013), Streck and Esteban (2013), Souza (2012), Gadotti
and Romão (2011), Soares (2011), among other authors. Brazil is marked by social
inequalities, and this makes access to goods and services unequal. Given this reality,
access to formal education is no different. EJA stands out for being a modality of
basic education aimed at those people who did not have the opportunity to complete
their studies at their proper age. It is noted that education policies historically
formulated in Brazil were designed to meet the needs of society. These policies have
been designed and redesigned according to the needs of each era. For the
construction of EJA, knowledge of the reality and specificities of its audience is
necessary, so that it is possible to guarantee the right to quality formal schooling.
Adequate service to the EJA public requires specific pedagogical and didactic
proposals, as well as differentiated training for education professionals working in this
modality. It is hoped that this study will serve as a motivation for possible future
studies bringing a contribution to the research area.