Os sentidos da democracia no processo de democratização do ensino público no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract

A definition for the noun "democracy" is not consensual, neither does it point to political practice guidelines and, as it constitutes a historic concept defended by diverse interests, it assumes distinct meanings. During the political reopening period, the concept was the flagship for civil society's struggle and claim for liberty from the handcuffs imposed by the military dictatorship and, acknowledging education as a social policy, in this scenario, reordering the traditional methods of educational practice started to be seen as necessary. Having that in mind, this writing proposition converges to a systematization aiming to reflect the way public education policies have legitimized those different parts of the democratic discourse, in order to recognize the elements that compose the legal concept for democracy, particularly present in the texts of Federal Statute n.º 9394/93 on the Guidelines and Bases for National Education and of State Statute n.º 10576/95, altered by State Statute n.º 11695/01, on the Democratic Management of Public Education in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, focusing on the elaboration process of these bills. Based on a theoretical-methodological referential of researches on education, this monograph aspires to do a literary revision, through bibliographic excavation, presenting the perceptions on democracy and school management supported by the theoretical works researched. Reflecting over the democratic management as it is intended for schools leads to the need for also thinking of the causes and consequences of an appropriation of the democratic discourse. Changes on the attempts of the administration to opening spaces for discussion of the management process have not resulted in effective changes on the practices. So, in this sense, what is the function of the law? Should it set an obligation for democracy to be enforced or the possible means for that end to be accomplished? Is it the means or the end? What is there behind the democratic discourse: decentralization or "de-concentration"? Such questions are a constant and represent the effort in systematizing part of the reflexions on the construction of a democratic (school) management.