The circulation of media texts among pupils in public basic education

Abstract

The text characterizes the reading of media-related materials by students of the public basic education system in the State of São Paulo, based on a systematic observation of the circulation of press texts within the school daily life. In a study carried out during two academic years with groups of students from fundamental and secondary education classes belonging to two different schools situated in the outskirts of a town in the interior of the state, the students' reports on their appropriation of media-based information obtained from a variety of sources were analyzed, with particular emphasis on written newspapers. During the period investigated individual and group interviews, as well as texts produced by the students, were taken as points of departure for the analysis. Among the aspects noted from the contact with communication media is the establishment of press information inside the school, albeit with fragmentary repercussions, not fully integrated into the pedagogical daily life, but somewhat circumstantial in the students' lives. The themes that receive more attention circulate through the television, mediated by family or peers, but not by teachers. A proposal for the analysis of these data is made, followed by concrete suggestions as to the treatment to be given to support material, texts and media-based issues at school, taking into account the resources available and the school context such as it appears nowadays.