A atuação do concelho tutelar em Rio Tinto – PB: combate á evasão escolar

Abstract

This study analyzed the role of the Conselho Tutelar (Child Protection Council) of Rio Tinto, Paraíba, in addressing school dropout between 2022 and 2024, considering the municipality’s socioeconomic context and official data from the Censo Escolar (School Census). The research stemmed from the understanding that education is a fundamental pillar for promoting citizenship and equal opportunities, although it continues to face the persistent challenge of dropout, particularly in small municipalities. According to data from INEP (2023), in the final years of the local elementary education system, the failure rate reached 17.2% and the dropout rate 8.3%, both above the national average. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the investigation combined documentary analysis, participant observation, and descriptive statistics to assess the impact of the strategies implemented by the Conselho Tutelar, such as active search, home visits, conflict mediation, referrals to the social protection network, and qualified listening with students. The coordinated actions among the Council, schools, and families resulted, according to institutional records, in a 1.3 percentage point reduction in school dropout in the urban area of Rio Tinto. The findings revealed that intersectoral and continuous interventions, sensitive to local specificities, are essential to mitigate this multifactorial phenomenon, whose causes include socioeconomic vulnerability, early labor, and insufficient school infrastructure. Therefore, the research contributed to improving public policies aimed at student retention, providing theoretical and practical insights that reinforce the role of the Conselho Tutelar as a strategic agent in ensuring the right to education.