A expansão da rede federal de educação profissional e tecnológica: um estudo do Instituto Federal do Paraná, Campus avançado Coronel Vivida

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the dynamics of recent expansion of Brazilian federal system of Vocational and Technical Education (VTE), considering elements of public policies, regional integration and professional preparation. The study focuses on the Instituto Federal do Paraná (IFPR), and specifically Campus Avançado Coronel Vivida in the period from 2011 to 2015. VTE policies are constantly submitted to a tension among divergent development visions and diverse rationalities, thus emphasizing the importance of analyzing in which forms such expansion has established relationships with the development in a region-wide context. The theoretical framework is based on Education and work, Education and development, and Vocational and technical education. Activities such as educating and working are exclusively human, however, the capitalist system of production turns them into mere merchandise. This qualitative research prioritized an exploratory descriptive approach, employing techniques of bibliography and documentary analysis, concept map construction, as well as content analysis of data collected by using semi-structured interviews, individually applied to administrators and professors, as well as focus group interviews to students. The content analysis was carried out considering the previously established elements: VTE, regional integration, and professional preparation. These elements were employed in order to establish some aspects of convergence, divergence and/or singularities identified in the qualitative data records. The results indicate a convergence around the understanding of VTE as a public policy that promoted a countrywide dissemination of vocational education including human, political and ethical aspects, beyond professional preparation. In addition, the IFPR upholds a close relationship with regional development in the institutional facet when considering its objective of educating people, even if its identity regarding VTE is under construction. The IFPR professional preparation, as well as its youth and adults education, and social inclusion, were all well evaluated. However, the institution needs a better arrangement concerning matching regional demands and the courses IFPR offers, the same for teaching practices and development of research and extension projects, as well as in relation to general dialogue with regional society.