O conselho escolar como expressão da gestão democrática

Abstract

The study proposes to discuss the School Councils as an expression of Democratic Management in the Teaching Institutions of the Municipal Public Network of Mafra - SC. The problem that guides the research lies in the fact that democratic management has been worked in a fragmented and simplistic way, without a north, without convictions and principles that lead it as a true democratic practice. Democratic organization, whether in a large school institution or in a small isolated school, must recognize the need for collective work. Therefore, the discussion about school boards as an expression of democratic management makes it valid to approach the subject. It is based the study considering the theorists that deal with the subject, emphasizing the contributions of: Arendt (1998), Bobbio (2000), Cunha (1999), Dourado (2007) Ferreira (2001, 2016), Paro (1986, 1996) Rosenfield (1994), among others, who admit and idealize democratic management as indispensable for quality in public education. The justification for such a study lies in the fact that democratic management has a fundamental role to play in the educational process, requiring the school to transform itself into a full training space for the individual and not only for the socialization of knowledge. constantly seek to improve their practice. The research data show that, despite everything that has already been said, discussed and written, there is still a long way to consolidate democratic management in many schools, since legislation to ensure democratic effectiveness in educational management is not enough. Under a qualitative approach, the data collected included bibliographic study, observation, documentary analysis, field research, and semi-structured interviews. The data enabled, among other factors: analysis of the legal acts that instituted the councils in the municipality of Mafra as well as the statutes of the schools; analysis of minutes of board meetings that reveal difficulties in registering meetings since they are characterized as a listing of issues presented and not discussed beyond, other difficulties; as for the offices that justify the absence of council meetings, point out urgency in promoting participation based on dialogue since there is no magic formula and each must find ways to promote participation; the choice of the directors is made by indication where some actions are already being carried out in order to give a new impetus re-characterizing the role of the school manager; the interviews, much more a conversation, were revealing in the sense that the speech where all are democratic is deconstructing in the spontaneous speech of managers. The results of the research indicate the lack of a culture of participation, that the concept of democratic management has its importance diminished because there is no appreciation of collective decisions and for the school council to become an expression of democratic management, it is necessary to overcome the centralization of decisions and actually live a collegial management based on dialogue, democracy and participation.