{"id":41127,"date":"2018-01-10T08:46:59","date_gmt":"2018-01-10T11:46:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/?p=41127"},"modified":"2018-01-16T03:23:26","modified_gmt":"2018-01-16T06:23:26","slug":"passing-failing-and-dropping-out-at-a-state-school-in-manguinhos-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=41127","title":{"rendered":"Passes, Fails, and Dropouts at a Public School in Manguinhos [INTERVIEW]"},"content":{"rendered":"

Clique aqui para Por<\/strong>tugu\u00eas<\/strong><\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The end and beginning of a new year, besides being a time for festivities, is also the moment in which many mothers and fathers in Brazil pay the most attention to their children\u2019s education, whether congratulating them if they have passed the school year, without worry about their learning process, or worrying because their child has failed. Children fail for different reasons: too many days missed, low grades or other school performance issues. This is a very common scenario in public schools in low-income neighborhoods. In the\u00a0Manguinhos<\/a>\u00a0favela, parents, students, and teachers are all too familiar with this drama.<\/p>\n

To better understand the situation, I, Edilano Cavalcante, coordinator of the community communication agency Fala Manguinhos!<\/em><\/a> (Speak Up Manguinhos!), interviewed the principal of a state school that is located in the neighborhood.<\/p>\n

I visited the Composer Luiz Carlos da Vila State School to talk to Michelle Nascimento, who has been the school’s principal for one year. We talked about a variety of subjects, from student learning to\u00a0public education policies and the parent-school relationship, and we were given access to data on passes, fails, and dropouts for the 2017 school year for high school students. The data are worrying.<\/p>\n

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The Composer Luiz Carlos da Vila State School is located in the Pra\u00e7a do Dep\u00f3sito de Suprimentos do Ex\u00e9rcito (Army Supply Depot Plaza\u2014DESUP), or \u2018Pra\u00e7a da Cidadania’ (Citizenship Plaza), as it was baptized by former governor S\u00e9rgio Cabral<\/a> during the years of the Growth Acceleration Program<\/a> (PAC). In a visit to the neighborhood, S\u00e9rgio Cabral and former president Lula<\/a> promised residents that the high school would be a model of quality education<\/a>, culture<\/a>, and public participation<\/a>, as part of a public-private partnership<\/a> between the State and Odebrecht<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In the beginning the school received all the support promised and was viewed by Manguinhos residents as a jewel, but within a short time investments were reduced and the activities that made the school stand out were put on hold, to the point at which the teachers went on strike due to unpaid wages and a lack of resources. During the strike, the students had to occupy the school<\/a> for more than a month and demand that the Secretary of Education resume the supply of resources in order to keep the school functioning. During this process of closure and struggle, the school suffered various blows to its infrastructure<\/a>, with even the electrical wiring and windows, among other items, being stolen.<\/p>\n

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It was in this period of resistance on the part of the students, when no one wanted to take responsibility for the management of the school, that Nascimento decided to come to Manguinhos to fight with the students to keep the school open and guarantee their right to a basic education<\/a>.<\/p>\n

EC: What has your experience been like in your first year leading the school?<\/h3>\n

Nascimento<\/strong>: I consider it a good year, productive with a lot of progress. Despite all the incidents of desecration, we have been able to restore the school with the help of the residents and local partners. One example is the school library, which will reopen at the beginning of 2018. Another is our sports field which is in the process of being repaired, an important environment for activities and recreation, as well as other important spaces for our school.<\/p>\n

In terms of management, the staff are very good, however the team is incomplete. Previously we did not have all the teachers\u2014now we do, but we’re still lacking administration professionals and we don\u2019t have educational counselors, among other professionals. And even with a great team, we’re all performing multiple roles at the same time and obviously can\u2019t handle it. This ends up overwhelming everyone to the point where people need to take medical leave a few times a year.<\/p>\n

EC: In terms of the end of the 2017 school year, what were the pass, fail, and dropout rates for the high school students? In your opinion, what explains the results?<\/h3>\n

Nascimento<\/strong>: The numbers are troubling and it’s very important that everyone understands the gravity of what this means both now and in the long term. Let’s look at them:<\/p>\n