Government policies in education: a participative proposal for teachers" improvement

Abstract

The result of national and international tests divulgated by the media, showing unsatisfactory performance among students, particularly those from public schools, to draw the attention to the topic of education. The school has been subject to hard criticism due to its low quality. The analysis of the problem does not always take into account the political, economic, social and cultural background of our country. The necessary measures are broad and also demand investments in the social and economic areas. However, the educators" lack of competence belief has been presented as a major cause of the students" difficulty in learning. The disregard for teaching profession, the poor educational background and the low salaries have serious consequences, even forcing the professional to work beyond a reasonable amount of time. Nevertheless, governmental education policies have been focused on methods, goals, textbooks and alike, putting aside the responsible for the pedagogical work: the teachers. They are seen as the ones that have to put into practice the curricula and programs defined by higher levels of power. The present dissertation aims to make salient the necessary participation of the teachers in the discussion about the educational policies so that another professional profile can be built. It also highlights that the first formation and continuous professional improvement of the teachers should lead to participation and construction of intellectual autonomy, taking into account the discussions about the social, economic and education problems in order to contribute to the elaboration of governmental policies to enhance the quality of education