PUBLIC POLICY, MANAGEMENT AND FUNDING OF PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION FOCUSED ON INCLUSION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Abstract

Public policies aimed at the inclusion of special education’s target audience people have historically been a characterized by conflicts, disputes, advances and setbacks. This case study is part of a research project on inclusion policies for people with disabilities in Brazilian professional and technological education. For this purpose, interviews were held with a group of managers from the Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Paraná (IFPR), in order to analyze the assessments and perceptions of those responsible for managing, applying and the effectiveness of these policies. The analysis indicated that it is clear to them that political debates and interests generate ambiguities in the understanding of policies for special education, especially in Professional and Technological Education (EPT). Furthermore, the constant debates influence the allocation of resources, affecting the priorities for education in the Institutos Federais (IFs). Regarding financial management, the interviewees reported that the resources received do not increase proportionally to the demand, resulting in budget deficits that hinder further investments to support students with specific educational needs. With regard to management issues, in terms of finances, they said that the resources they receive do not increase in the same proportion as demand, causing a deficit in the organization of the budget, making it impossible to invest more in providing care for students with disabilities. Pedagogically, the results highlighted that for some of them the concept of inclusion is not clear, sometimes mixed with integration linked to the reading of an integrated curriculum; they also point out that they spare no pains to ensure that policies are implemented.