The Law of Basic Guidelines and Bases of National Education (LDB 9.394/96), in the form acquired in its last modification, establishes the division of the Brazilian educational system. According to the text, the student begins his studies in Early Childhood Education and continues to Higher Education.
In detail, the structure established by the Law goes through the proposal described in the table below:
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In the table, we were able to identify each stage separated by ages. Theoretically, primary and secondary education, for example, should be attended in the age group between 06 and 17 years old. Then, the student would enter technical or higher education, depending on his professional objective.
But we know that reality doesn't work exactly that way. For various reasons, mostly financial and social, a considerable number of Brazilians reach adulthood, only going through the literacy phase. Sad reality that tends to be changed thanks to Youth and Adult Education (EJA).
Inserted between the stages of the Brazilian educational system, EJA came to provide access to education to those who did not have opportunities to exercise it in the so-called conventional stages. Escola Educação brings, in this article, information on how this modality works, in addition to stories of those who had open doors since its creation.
What is EJA?
Youth and Adult Education (EJA) is a modality created by the Federal Government for those who did not have access to education in conventional schools. Especially aimed at adults, it allows students to resume their studies and conclude them in less time, enabling their qualification to obtain better positions in the job market.
Previously, EJA was known as supplementary. Its creation had as its main objective the democratization of education in Brazil. Today, EJA has two modalities, face-to-face and distance learning. But, within each one, it is divided into stages, from the moment it covers from elementary to high school.
- EJA Elementary Education: young people from 15 years old who were unable to complete Elementary School, that is, the stage between 1st and 9th grades. In this stage, they are inserted in the teaching-learning process and, in this, they immerse themselves in new ways of learning and thinking. Average completion time: two years.
- EJA High School: aimed at students over 18 who wish to resume their studies from high school. Completing Basic Education, it prepares students to enter universities, including entrance exams and Enem. Average completion time: 18 months.
Returning to the modalities, the EJA allows the student to study in person or at a distance. In the first, you need to go to the school where the course is taught to attend classes, usually at night. The second is more flexible and, for this reason, the course is done over the internet or with books and handouts provided by the institution.
What is studied in EJA?
The subjects offered in EJA follow the National Common Curricular Base, that is, they are the same taught in conventional education. That is, in elementary school, students will have contact with Geography, History, Mathematics, Science, Physical Education, Arts, English and Portuguese.
In high school, it is their turn to have contact with Philosophy, Sociology, History, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Science, Physical Education, Arts, English and Portuguese. As you can see, the subjects are the same as in the traditional curriculum. The difference is that, in EJA, each series can be completed in six-month modules.
Who can do the EJA?
Young people aged 15 and over can enroll in the EJA Elementary School. In EJA High School, you must be at least 18 years old. Enrollment procedures may depend on each state or municipality, as EJA has national coverage. But, in general, the student needs to provide the following documentation:
- Proof of residence
- Two 3×4 photos
- Copies of ID or birth certificate
- School Records
Students who are not going to attend the EJA at the same school they previously studied must also carry a transfer request.
Certification will also depend on the system adopted by each state. Therefore, certification exams or recognition of institutions that offer EJA as broadcasters may be offered. On the part of the Federal Government, there is the option of Inep, the National Institute of Educational Studies and Research Anísio Teixeira.
The institution conducts the National Examination for the Certification of Youth and Adult Skills (Encceja) which, in turn, it is used by the State Departments of Education to certify completed primary education. Secondary education, on the other hand, can be completed attested by Enem, in addition to a new assessment to be created by Inep.
It wasn't easy to get here
This is the phrase that describes the profile of Pedagogy student Alzeni Abreu. Born in the city of Monte Alegre, she was a resident of the rural area and a member of a low-income family, which forced her to study and work to help out at home. Reality more than common in our country.
The difficulties made her interrupt her studies and only be available to return in 2013 when it was already difficult to finish them in conventional education. Mother of a four-year-old boy, Alzeni would need to finish elementary school to, just like that, enter high school, which would take at least four years.
The opportunity came with EJA, a modality present in her city and, according to her, highly encouraged by schools. “ People made an effort, put advertisements on the street, went from door to door, ran after people, looked for, helped and encouraged”, she recalls that, to enter high school straight away, she had to take a proof.
Still, the difficulties did not stop. Studying at night and having no one to leave her son with, she had to walk about three kilometers to get to school. But, Alzeni won and managed to complete his studies in two years. However, anyone who thinks she stopped there is wrong.
Despite having been hired by the city government as a cook, the young woman intended to take a technical course in occupational safety. However, she ended up taking the 2014 edition of the National High School Examination (Enem). Here, she makes another compliment about the modality. “My writing note was thanks to the guidance I received in the EJA”, she recalls.
A grade so good that it was enough to pass three graduations. Two of them in the Pedagogy course at the Federal University of Tocantins (UFT), through the Unified Selection System (SiSU). The third, at a private college, also in Pedagogy, which was her choice due to the ease of Distance Learning (Ead).
About to graduate – completion comes at the end of 2018 – Alzeni continues with his dream of graduating from a federal institution. Therefore, she will try to enroll in the Mathematics course at the Federal University of Goiás. “I've already succeeded three times, so I'm very confident that I'll succeed again”, concludes the owner of a well-known name in public tenders.
Quality in compact time
Academic in Physical Education, Leila Reges, started her studies through EJA in 2011, attracted by the practicality and time of conclusion. According to her, conventional high school became more difficult after the birth of children. "I had three and I even tried between one pregnancy and another, but I couldn't", she recalls.
Another difficulty pointed out by Leila was the need to work, which is very common among students in this modality. She says it was easy to complete the course, with the exception of two subjects – Physics and Chemistry – which took a little longer to complete the course.
The student even praises the scope of the subjects, even in the compact configuration in relation to conventional teaching. What about the opportunities opened by EJA? Leila is adamant when describing the changes promoted in her professional and academic life after completing high school.
“Thanks to EJA, I managed to get promoted within the company and I also entered a private college through ProUni, after having done the National High School Examination (Enem)", she recalls that she is currently completing her degree in Physical Education in Goiânia (Go).