A perspectiva da educação popular em ações de acesso ao ensino superior na Universidade da Integração Internacional da Lusofonia Afro-Brasileira por classes populares da Guiné-Bissau

Abstract

This work is a master's dissertation that seeks to study the perspective of Popular Education in actions for access to Higher Education by working classes in Guinea-Bissau. Its main objective is to analyze the role of Popular Education in preparing young people from the working classes of Guinea-Bissau to enter Higher Education at the University of International Integration of Afro-Brazilian Lusophony (Unilab). To this end, qualitative research was conducted based on semi-structured interviews with Guinean students who participated in the Emancipa Malês preparatory course and are currently studying at Unilab. The data from these interviews were cross-referenced with bibliographies from researchers on Popular Education, popular preparatory courses, and higher education. It is understood that higher education in Guinea-Bissau is very precarious and requires effective public policies to improve its functioning. Among the many factors that hinder Guinean students' access to and retention in universities, the lack of free higher education and the centralization of universities in Guinea-Bissau stand out. Thus, the working classes, especially those living in the interior of Guinea-Bissau, are unable to access and remain in higher education and end up seeking alternative study options outside the country. In this sense, the relevance of this research is understandable, as, by examining the entire process of incentives fostered by Popular Education initiatives for students in higher education in Guinea-Bissau and Brazil, it is hoped that this will contribute to the development of higher education in these countries and also serve as a theoretical basis for future researchers on topics related to Popular Education. This research opens avenues for further investigation and exploration of the Popular Education developed by the Emancipa Malês Network, extending the analysis of the process of preparing students from Angola, Cape Verde, Mozambique, and São Tomé and Príncipe for admission to Unilab, given that the focus of this research was on Guinean students. Furthermore, in-depth research on the development of popular education in the pre- colonial, colonial, and post-colonial periods in Guinea-Bissau and its impact on society.