PROEJA AS A WATERSHED MOMENT: TRAJECTORY, PERMANENCE, AND EMANCIPATION IN THE NARRATIVE OF A GRADUATE

Abstract

This chapter presents an account of an experience based on the narrative of a graduate of the Youth and Adult Education integrated with Professional and Technological Education (EJA-EPT) course, offered by the Federal Institute of Santa Catarina (IFC) – Camboriú Campus. The text is an excerpt from the master's thesis research entitled "Scenarios and behind-the-scenes of the implementation of PROEJA at the Federal Institute of Santa Catarina," defended in 2021 within the scope of the Postgraduate Program in Professional and Technological Education (ProfEPT). This study aimed to understand the meanings attributed by the graduate to her formative trajectory, as well as to analyze the impacts of the educational experience on her personal, professional, and academic life. The results revealed that EJA-EPT was configured as a space for emancipation, broadening perspectives for social and professional inclusion and encouraging the continuation of studies at the higher education level. On the other hand, the graduate's narrative brought to light the challenges related to student retention, especially those associated with transportation conditions, balancing work, study, and family care responsibilities, including motherhood. In this sense, the account reinforces the relevance of EJA-EPT (Youth and Adult Education - Professional and Technological Education) as a public policy committed to democratizing access to education and promoting inclusion.