Tarcísio government announces experimental technical course in SP – 08/24/2023 – Education

The Tarcísio de Freitas government (Republicans) is going to offer technical courses “on an experimental basis” for high school students in regular schools in the state network of São Paulo in the next school year.

The proposal, led by the Secretary of Education, Renato Feder, is part of the Professional Education Program in São Paulo, whose guidelines were published in the Official Gazette on Tuesday (22). As anticipated the Sheetthe measure provides for the provision of technical education within the current structure of regular schools, with face-to-face classes taught by professionals who are not necessarily teachers, but who work in the area of ​​courses.

The program is the great bet of the Tarcísio government to quickly increase the modality and fulfill the campaign promise to increase the number of enrollments in technical education —the goal is to offer, until the end of the mandate, this option to half of the approximately 1.5 million high school students.

The proposal is one of the reasons given by teachers for the strike that started on August 8 at Etecs (state technical schools) and Fatecs (technical colleges). They say they fear that the structure and investments of the Centro Paula Souza, the autarchy at the head of the network for five decades, will be abandoned.

Regular school teachers also criticize the measure and say that the units do not have adequate physical structure to receive the courses, which require laboratories and equipment for practical classes.

In a statement, the Department of Education said that the program will offer 100,000 places in ten technical courses in 2024 and said that the process “has broad participation by schools and students, in a recognizably democratic construction”.

“In July, the final decision to offer the technician was submitted to the school councils of all participating schools, with 90% approval for the proposed courses”, said the folder.

The announced experimental courses are data science and pedagogical support in basic education. The very resolution that created the program indicates that they are experimental because they are not included in the National Catalog of Technical Courses —a document prepared by the National Council of Education that guides vocational education throughout the country.

In addition to them, the secretariat will offer eight other modalities: administration, logistics, sales, agribusiness, hotels and events, pharmacy, nursing and systems development. All are already offered at Etecs linked to Paula Souza, which led the State Board of Education to issue an opinion pointing out the risk to the quality of technical education and the duplication of government spending.

The body is made up of experts appointed by the governor to regulate and advise on state education policies. The opening of new courses, for example, depends on the approval of the directors. So far, only the data science course has been approved.

In a meeting this Wednesday (23), the councilors mentioned the lack of a mapping forecast, in the resolution of the Secretary of Education, to prevent courses from being offered twice in the same region, creating competition with the Etecs, which select students.

The council also mentions the shortage of qualified professionals to act as teachers. Currently, the Paula Souza Center has around 50,000 elementary school students in technical courses and is facing difficulties in expanding vacancies.

In a note, the secretariat said that an announcement is open for the temporary hiring of teachers who will work in technical courses. “Permanent teachers who already work in the network and who have training in the areas of technical courses will have priority in assigning classes, if they want to teach these curricular components.”

Feder defends the expansion of technical education as a way to make school more attractive to young people with the promise that they will complete more qualified studies for the job market.

Ana Paula Corti, professor at the IFSP (Federal Institute and São Paulo) and researcher at Repu (Public School and University Network), says that promoting this modality is important to improve the training of young people and insert them into the market, “in addition to be a goal that the country has set to improve the country’s education”. “But there’s no point in making a quick expansion without thinking about the qualification of the teachers and the structure of the schools”, she says.

Monique Pessôa, an education specialist at USP, also emphasizes the concern with the creation of experimental courses, which are not in the national catalogue.

“The document exists to guide students, teachers and companies on what should be included in a course. Both from a pedagogical point of view and in relation to the equipment needed for learning. Without this reference, we don’t know what qualification is intended to be given to students,” he says.

In a statement, the secretariat said that the ten professional courses were “defined after a detailed analysis of the variation in the number of employment relationships by region, according to official data from Rais (Annual Social Information List) over four years, in addition to the choices made by school boards and students’ expression of interest held in May of this year”.

He also declared that the creation of experimental courses is supported by a resolution of the State Council. He also said that the data sciences course was created because it is an area in “sharp expansion of vacancies” and informed that he used as a basis to create the curriculum a course plan studied by the Paula Souza Center, in partnership with the Telefônica Foundation.

Regarding the pedagogical support course in basic education, the ministry said that it meets a demand for “hiring class assistants for kindergarten and elementary education, in addition to supporting children in special education”.