Tensions Between Local Implementation of Public Policies and National Policies of Environmental Education in Brazil in a Critical Perspective

• In Event: 14.044 - Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: 14.044-23 - Emerging Perspectives on Critical Policy Research in Sustainability Education

Abstract

Purposes
Since the late 80’s Brazil has a history of public policies in environmental education (EE) through laws and programs at the federal, state and municipal levels. At a municipal level, São Carlos (São Paulo, Brazil) has a history of engagement in EE, especially in terms of public policy. Although independent, those levels are articulated and have high potential to promote the strengthening of each other reciprocally. The aim of this study is to present the projects developed in São Carlos in view of the national scenario.

Perspective, Methods, & Data
Most of the educational processes analyzed in this article have the action and participation of community as theoretical assumptions (Brandão, 2000), as well as the dialogical perspective (Freire, 1994), which means a commitment with the reality transformation, indicating the dialogue as essential to overcome the ethical crisis of our time. An important feature for this perspective is the maintenance of the educational process, which isn’t compatible with the inconstancy of governmental programs. Nowadays, with the changes in the local government (2012-2015) the projects are suspended.
In São Carlos town we have science centers, active environmental organizations and two universities, which provide a strong partnership for the development of local projects, which have been pivotally attached to federal programs. The Environmental Education Network of São Carlos, founded in 1996, has been the anchor for many federal programs locally and regionally (from 2005 to 2011), seeking for the diffusion of EE through many institutions working together. All the projects are linked with each other and connected with the local and federal public policies. Based on a method entitled systematization of experience (Jara, 2006) already done by Lima (2008) in São Carlos, we will present our data retrieved from investigations which have analyzed the municipal public policies related to federal public policies: Di Tullio (2014); Dominguez, Kunieda, Oliveira, Marpica, Santos & Oliveira (2011); Iared, Thiemann, Oliveira, Di Tullio & Franco, (2011); Kunieda (2010); Santos (2010); Santos, Oliveira, Dominguez & Kunieda (2011); Oliveira, Santos, Dominguez & Kunieda (2011).

Results & Scientific Significance
These projects were designed and implemented in São Carlos from the joint and collective engagement of various social groups, highlighting the participatory and emancipatory character, seeking to strengthen the municipal public policies in promoting contextualized actions and practices from the perspective of critical EE. The history of networking in São Carlos contributed to the consolidation of the programs at the federal level. Likewise, those programs have contributed to the local institutionalization of EE. The partnership between institutions and at the same time, the effects of the governmental discontinuity and the constraints in carry out a truly participatory processes have been reported as a key aspect to strengthening EE in various studies developed by researchers from our Research Group. The role of the academic contributions to the development of the EE Public Policies is highlighted, through organization in network movements like the Brazilian Network for Greening Higher Education (RUPEA).

Authors

• Valéria Ghisloti Iared

• Haydée Torres Oliveira