A EJA no IFBA, campus de Salvador: conformações entre a oferta de cursos e suas descontinuidades

Abstract

Youth and Adult Education (EJA), within the scope of Professional and Technological Education (EPT), was consolidated in the Federal Network of Science and Technology with the enactment of Decree No. 5,478, of June 24, 2005. Although vocational education aimed at adults dates back to the Imperial period, public policies directed toward this type of training still lack effectiveness due to structural challenges such as insufficient infrastructure, scarcity of resources, inadequate teacher training, and the low social recognition of EJA. These factors have contributed to the progressive reduction in the offer of technical courses for young and adult learners, highlighting the need for more consistent educational policies, adequate investment, and pedagogical approaches centered on the specific characteristics of this target audience. In this context, this research analyzed the motivations underlying the discontinuity in the offer of technical courses in the EJA modality at the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Bahia (IFBA), Salvador campus. The investigation adopted a qualitative approach, characterized as a case study, and was based on bibliographical and documentary research, drawing on public data from IFBA’s Electronic Information Service (SEI), the National Household Sample Survey (PNAD 2022), and the Nilo Peçanha Platform (PNP). The theoretical framework is grounded in historical-critical pedagogy, drawing on the contributions of Dermeval Saviani, Marise Ramos, Gaudêncio Frigotto, and Maria Ciavatta, which guided the analysis of the social role of EJA in the omnilateral education of workers. As its main outcome, the study proposed a reference curriculum matrix for integrated technical courses in the EJA modality, incorporating the recognition of prior learning and competencies as part of the total course load and articulating general education, work, and life experience of the students. The educational product also includes a syllabus and associated teaching plans aimed at valuing the knowledge built throughout the educational and professional trajectories of EJA students.