A study on public centers for Youth and Adult Education in the State of São Paulo

• Grant number: 14/17294-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: December 01, 2014
• End date: February 28, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Education - Specific topics in Education
• Principal Investigator: Maria Clara Di Pierro
• Grantee: Maria Clara Di Pierro
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Educação (FE). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Data on the schooling level of the population of São Paulo indicates there is an extensive potential demand for youth and adult education (YAE). However, indicators on coverage for this kind of education are low and tend to decline when consulting the number of enrollments in all the education networks over the last decade.Based on evidence gathered on a literature review of previous researches, this investigation works with the hypothesis that the schools that are organized exclusively to attend youth and adults are more effective in mobilizing the social demand and attending the learning needs of this age-group than the night classes that are offered in schools organized to prioritize education of children and adolescents. With the intention of understanding the tendencies of the demand for YAE and to offer inputs for public policy-making on basic education in the State, the study proposes to analyze and compare the unique configuration of vacancy availability and of the educational results in four public centers (connected to the State and Municipal school networks), geared solely to youth and adult education, in the Capital and metropolitan regions of São Paulo, which have registered a growing demand over the last eight years.Each one of the schooling establishments will be characterized taking seven aspects in consideration: a) the profile and socio-cultural diversity of the students; b) the profile of the educators, their working conditions, and their opportunities for continued formation; c) the physical installations; d) the student-assistance programs (transportation, food, health, and learning material); e) the curricular and pedagogical proposals as well as the flexibility in organizing the times and spaces for learning; f) the school management (including the mechanisms for participation and relations with the community); the enrollment tendencies, the schooling flow and achievement, as well as the indicators of certification; g) the student/cost. (AU)