Acesso e permanência de alunos público da educação especial nos municípios de Apuí, Borba, Humaitá, Manicoré e Novo Aripuanã, no estado do Amazonas: desafios e possibilidades

Abstract

This study discusses access and retention from the perspective of inclusive education, aimed at the Special Education public, seeking to know: “what are the challenges faced and possibilities built by education professionals regarding access and retention of the Special Education public in the five municipalities that are part of the Calha do Rio Madeira, state of Amazonas, in the year 2022?” To answer this question, we defined as a general objective: to analyze how access and retention of the Special Education public occurs in the state public schools of the municipalities of Apuí, Borba, Humaitá, Manicoré and Novo Aripuanã, which are part of the Calha do Rio Madeira, state of Amazonas, based on the experiences of regional coordinators, school managers, regular education and Specialized Educational Assistance (AEE) teachers and school life assistant professionals. The theoreticalmethodological procedures are based on dialectical historical materialism, based on the Marxist theory of Marx (2004; 2017) and other scholars, Lukács (2013; 2018), Vygotsky (2007; 2021), Melo (2024) and others. The field research was carried out in June and July 2022. Participants included regional coordinators, school managers, regular school teachers and multifunctional resource rooms, and school life support professionals. Data sources included the scoping review, official documents, forty-seven semi-structured interviews, participant observation, photographic records, and field diary. The data were processed and presented through an analysis based on two thematic categories: “access and retention”, which were further broken down into subcategories that are linked to the concrete reality of the Special Education Policy from an Inclusive Perspective in the context of Amazonas, also considering the connections between school management, regular education and the Special Education Program. The results showed that Amazonas has rules that regulate Special Education. Enrollment of the Special Education population in regular education has shown continuous growth, while enrollment in the Special Education Program remains less significant. Furthermore, the number of Multifunctional Resource Rooms is insufficient, with outdated pedagogical structure and equipment, and a medical report or report is required at the time of enrollment. There is also a lack of data that clearly represents the reality of schools and education professionals, in addition to the absence of a specific person responsible for Special Education within the regional coordinators. However, it is possible to improve access to information related to Special Education through the special module of the Integrated Educational Management System of Amazonas (Sigeam), which is currently underutilized by Seduc (AM). Professionals request ongoing training, which, however, tends to follow a medical-pedagogical model. However, there is a need for training focused on strategies that enhance pedagogical practices. Therefore, the study supports the thesis that public schools in Apuí, Borba, Humaitá, Manicoré and Novo Aripuanã develop an educational policy that does not favor school retention for the Special Education population. This reality is a result of the reproduction of the original exclusionary conditions, considering that, even with access to schools, these students remain excluded from educational processes, despite the experiences built by teachers. Based on this reality, the “Rede Aberta de Diálogos” (Open Dialogue Network) tool was developed, aiming to foster interactions and approaches to improve teaching and learning in schools. Finally, the study highlights the need for new research that strengthens the schooling of public students with Special Education in Amazonas and contributes to improving the quality of education. At the same time, it points out gaps that can be explored in future studies.