Políticas de reconhecimento de acesso e permanência de sujeitos trans na educação de jovens e adultos: reflexões a partir do chão da escola

Abstract

Youth and Adult Education is, by definition, a space for reconstructing life trajectories that were interrupted by socioeconomic inequalities and institutional failures and and failures in management policies. However, within this educational modality, the retention of students with diverse gender identities, particularly trans people and transvestite, faces significant barriers due to the prevalence of cisnormativity and transphobia. This capstone project aimed to analyze how public recognition policies regarding gender diversity manifest within the Youth and Adult Education (EJA) context in the municipality of Alhandra, Paraíba, considering the challenges surrounding access, retention, and the inclusion of trans people. The theoretical framework was grounded in the studies of Paulo Freire (2020), Miguel Arroyo (2014), Jane Paiva (2016), Simone de Beauvoir (2019), Joan Scott (1995), Judith Butler (2019), and Guacira Lopes Louro (2022). Data were generated through open-ended questions addressed to school administrators and the municipal coordinator for Youth and Adult Education (EJA) in the aforementioned municipality, alongside an analysis of institutional and legal documents. The results revealed that, although the municipality implements initiatives to combat school dropout, these actions operate from a generalized and universalizing perspective. Statistical and institutional invisibility of the trans population within the school system was observed, characterized by the absence of demographic mapping, the lack of protocols regarding the use of social names, and a lack of continuing education for pedagogical and administrative staff. It is concluded that the reception (social recognition) of these students within the “school floor” exhibits concerning weaknesses and relies on the sensitivity and individual initiative of professionals. In light of these theoretical insights, it is evident that school retention presupposes, above all, that the education system in question acknowledges individuals who have historically been rendered invisible; this highlights that public policies aimed at retention only become truly inclusive when respect for differences serves as the starting point for guaranteeing the human right to education.