Currently, São Paulo has 1,167 Youth and Adult Education (EJA) classrooms. The modality is essential to enable the continuity of studies, especially for those who had to leave school. The topic is under debate in the city council, based on a survey presented by councilor Carlos Celso Gianazzi, which shows that, in the last four years, more than 300 classes were closed. With the reduction in the supply of places, getting to school adds to the challenge of continuing with educational training. In a busy routine, Ducenizia Santana dos Santos prepares for another day of high school classes. There are rare days when she manages to stop by the house, after work, to see her daughters before going to school, where she stays until 11 pm. A domestic worker, at the age of 33 she decided to go back to school after 14 years away from the classroom. “I get up at 6 am because my daughters start school at 7 am. I get up, make coffee, make lunch for them. ‘Come on, come on, you’re late!’. Then, afterwards, I do one thing, another thing, when I think not, time is up and I have to run to work. I don’t always come home, because during the day there’s always something else for us to do. So I decide to go to school straight away,” she says. After a full day’s work, Ducenizia’s challenges continue, even before she reaches the classroom. It’s a 30-minute walk from her house to the school. A route that still needs to be done on foot, even living in the largest city in the country. This is because the bus offer is limited. If you wait, it arrives late. It’s more than 2 kilometers walking, even with schools next to the house. “With all this stuff [da audiência], we will forward the actions later, the referrals will go to the Municipal Court of Auditors, to the Public Ministry, so that we can have a concrete action and avoid this dismantling of EJA in the city of São Paulo”, he declared. The hearing was held jointly with the Federal Chamber in Brasília. “It is with an EJA scholarship policy that we will provide guarantees so that vulnerable students have effective conditions to return to study, education, school”, highlighted federal deputy Luciene Cavalcante. André Sapanos, EJA teacher and human rights specialist, explains that these problems hinder learning in the classroom. “The states, throughout the national territory, have created EJA centers. And these poles are usually far from students’ homes. So, when the school is far away, either from the place of work, or from your home, access to school is a bit complicated”, he evaluated. The Municipal Secretary of Education said, in a note, that the demand for EJA dropped after the pandemic and, therefore, the classes were transferred to other schools. The agency also said that it meets all the enrollment demand for this type of education. Also according to the city hall, “with the obligation to study from the age of 4, a decrease in enrollments and adult classes for the EJA modality is expected, since students graduate at the recommended age”. Watch the report on TV Brasil.
Agência Brasil
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