Escola pública: laicidade e gestão democrática

Abstract

The following monographic work has initially emerged from my personal reflections as a student of a graduate latu sensu course in education management, at the Federal University of Santa Maria. Given the legal secularism of public schools since the very beginning of brazilian republican period, the scheduled research task was to track the constitutional legislationś evolution about this topic, supposing that this kind of knowledge could eventually contribute to democratize school management. The general goal has been to analyze the definitions placed by different brazilian constitutions on school and education, highlighting the issue of secularism in public schools. As specific goals the research was oriented to identify the prevalent religious influences inside the school system, to recognize in some theoretical studies an alledged intrinsic relation between laicity and democratic management in public schools and, in addition, to point some factors that may improve the inclusion of all students in spite of any religious distinctions. The approach has been qualitative, based particularly on the analysis of brazilian constitutions, on the inspection of already published works about the object in view and on my own individual schooling experience. As a theoretical basis, one can cite (CUNHA) 2017, 2012, 2013, 2006, 2009, (CURY) 2004, 2011 and (LÜCK) 2009, among others, that discuss the mentioned topics. It is concluded that Catholicism has predominant religious representations in the public school. In this sce- nario, the continuing education of teachers and managers is indispensable. It is important that they know the trajectory of Brazilian laws and history of education. For education is a right of all, guaranteed by our Constitution of 1988, as well as the principles of democratic management and the secularity of the public school. These factors can contribute to the structuring of a more inclusive, dynamic and participatory school environment.