Alfabetização dando a mão à palmatória? Reflexões sobre o Programa Tempo de Aprender na perspectiva da educação inclusiva e dos direitos humanos em Manaus

Abstract

This research analyzes the Tempo de Aprender (Time to Learn) Program, a public policy focused on literacy, in its intersection with inclusive education and human rights, examining its implementation within the municipal school system of Manaus, Amazonas. The study is grounded in the understanding that literacy-focused educational policies must align with principles of inclusion, equity, and the guarantee of the right to education, particularly in regions characterized by sociocultural, historical, and territorial diversity, such as the Amazon. The objective is to analyze the Program through the lens of inclusive education and human rights, critically examining the concepts, guidelines, and pedagogical practices developed within the Amazonian context. This is a qualitative study of an interpretive and critical nature, based on an integration of narrative, bibliographic, and documentary research. Self-narrative provided insight into the researcher's own formative experiences and their relationship to the subject of study; bibliographic research supported the discussion on literacy, inclusive education, human rights, and public policy; and documentary research enabled the analysis of the National Literacy Policy, the Tempo de Aprender Program, documents from the Ministry of Education and the Manaus Municipal Department of Education, as well as training materials provided by Avamec. The investigation draws primarily on the contributions of Paulo Freire, Vera Maria Candau, and Catherine Walsh, framed within a critical perspective committed to the reality of the Amazon region. The results indicate that the Tempo de Aprender Program has limitations regarding the incorporation of inclusive education and human rights principles, as it prioritizes a technical conception of literacy centered on the development of specific skills and the standardization of pedagogical practices. Furthermore, the study observes that the Program's implementation fails to account, in various respects, for the sociocultural and educational specificities of the Amazonian context, creating tensions between the policy's normative guidelines and the concrete demands of schools. It is concluded that the implementation of literacy policies committed to inclusion requires approaches that acknowledge the diversity of individuals, territories, and educational experiences, thereby strengthening pedagogical practices that are contextualized, democratic, and grounded in human rights.