School contexts and educational processes in and of rural early childhood education, Abaetetuba, Pará

ABSTRACT

The text approaches the education of children, childhood, and self-education as parts of the process of human emancipation from a humanizing and social justice perspective. To this aim, the contexts of two rural schools located in the municipality of Abaetetuba, Pará were taken. In practice, this ideology has become problematic and a matter of struggle. Therefore, this paper discusses the educational reality of educational institutions situated in rural contexts and the educational practices that encompass administrative, structural, and pedagogical constraints. These aspects are crucial when considering the holistic development of children, especially the educational processes of student-children in and of rural areas. This is a qualitative research, based on bibliographic, documentary, and field studies. Authors such as Brandão e Borges (2007), Brandão (2015) and Freire (1996; 1981; 2016) served as theoretical basis. Legal documents from municipal and national educational legislation were also consulted. Empirically, there was a dialogue with children, community leaders, and educators involved with the respective schools. The collected data revealed that the reality of Early Childhood Education in rural areas is still in great need of improvement to ensure basic rights to quality education. This includes the curricular and pedagogical aspects where knowledge and everyday experiences can be referenced in educational processes and practices, considering the diverse rural Amazonian context. In this last aspect, on a positive note, some teachers in these schools reside in the same territories where the institutions are located.

Keywords:
Early Childhood Education; Rural Education; Educational Processes