Brazil’s anti-racist education: challenges and opportunities in a private school network

• In Event: Poster Session 6
  In Poster Session: Brazil’s anti-racist education: challenges and opportunities in a private school network

Proposal

This research addresses the structural analysis of a private school network in the face of racial and gender issues in Brazil. The paper was organized as a descriptive and exploratory analysis to diagnose the education network based on the data collected compared to the Brazilian social context. Then, it presents how actions can be implemented to combat racism and seek equal opportunities.
Context and Theoretical Framework:
Race and gender are essential to understanding education in Brazil. While 56% of the population is self-declared as Black, this population is still under-represented in education and employment since the abolition of slavery. Historically, the “myth of the racial democracy” was the main discourse in the country promoting that every race has the same rights and opportunities. However, the post-slavery period is marked by policies and projects that didn’t involve black communities, remaining under-represented in social rates. For example, the Black population, and especially Black women, still face challenges in the learning process and pay equality, representing the structural racism in the country (Almeida, 2020).
Methods and Data Analysis:
In my presentation, I use a descriptive research method to understand the characteristics of the population through the correlation of selected variables. Primary data collection was conducted via quantitative analysis of the database of students, teachers, and administrative staff from one of the biggest private school networks of the country. This selected sample represents a group of private schools under the same organization, operating in three of Brazil’s five regions (Central-West, Southeast, and South). All segments of basic education and open courses were considered and employees occupied roles in classrooms, school staff, and administrative centers supporting these schools. The study focused on the unified national database of the school network to recognize patterns across the group and variations according to school and organizational contexts. The educational group that owns this school network provided the databases through its IT system.

Findings and Contribution
Drawing on this data, I find that despite the majority of the population in Brazil being black, Black students are the minority in every state where the school network operates. The national trend shows that as students progress academically, the representation of Black students increases, yet in no segment did Black students become the majority in a class. The average tuition fee varies by region, and areas with higher Black student representation had lower average tuition, indicating the effectiveness of affirmative programs. Although, academic underachievement was significantly higher among Black students, highlighting the need to revise educational practices to serve this population better.
Regarding employees, the national network has a higher female representation than the national average, but Black representation reflects national indicators. However, my research finds that as the hierarchical/managerial level rises and specialization requirements increase, the concentration of Black individuals and women decreases in the workplace. Further, my research reveals that within these groups, there is an additional discrepancy in pay/salaries based on both race and gender, with White men being paid significantly higher than Black women.

Author

• Marcelo Ribeiro de Carvalho Silva, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania