An opinion poll entitled “Perceptions on Public Education and Secondary Education in Brazil” found that 84% of respondents evaluate Integral Secondary Education positively and associate this model with good educational results. The survey was commissioned by Instituto Natura and Instituto Sonho Grande, produced by Quaest Consultoria, and interviewed 6,545 people in 26 states and the Federal District.
For researcher and former São Paulo Secretary of Education, Alexandre Schneider, this type of education is the best way out for education in the country. “Full time means that students have as many stimuli as possible, not only from an educational point of view, but also from a professional perspective”, he evaluates.
However, in order to be viable, Integral Education “must be flexible to regional demands”, says the former secretary. “Not always an education model that works in one place will work in another. Therefore, public networks must have peace of mind to build differentiated models,” he adds.
Alexandre Schneider points out three main challenges to put Integral Education into practice in Brazil. The first is to check if there is physical space on the public network. “For a school to function full-time, students from different shifts may not be served. Therefore, it is necessary to invest in the construction of new units or expansion of the network”, he points out.
The second is related to the fact that educators often have more than one employment relationship, in more than one school. “It is impractical to require a professor to leave a job that complements his income to focus on just one”, in the researcher’s assessment. “For this, an incentive has to be made from public managers.”
The third is the hybrid curriculum, that is, educational and professionalizing. According to the survey, 75% of fathers, mothers and/or guardians would like their children to study at an Integral High School.
For the researcher, this is linked to the fact that many students are on the border between leaving school or staying overnight to work during the day and helping their parents financially. “The result of this is that students are subjected to precarious jobs, as they are not prepared for the market. The vocational modality is important because it does not take the student out of school and still prepares him.”
Former secretary Alexandre Schneider reinforces that the mental health of students in the post-pandemic period, when they were two years away from the socializing provided by schools, must be considered.
“Integral Education is important not only for the student to learn, but for him to feel stimulated in the learning process, with more time and care available”, he concludes.
Source: CNN Brasil
