As políticas públicas de inclusão digital e a formação dos estudantes trabalhadores da EJA no IFG

Abstract

This dissertation is part of the "Work, Policies and Teacher Training" Research Line of the Postgraduate Program in Education at the Federal Institute of Goiás (IFG) and aims to analyze public policies on digital inclusion and their implications for the training of working students in Youth and Adult Education (EJA) at the institution. Starting from the premise that digital exclusion is an expression of social inequalities, the study sought to understand how the IFG has developed actions aimed at access to and critical appropriation of digital technologies by this population. To this end, the historical-dialectical materialism method was adopted, guided by a qualitative approach that combined documentary analysis—of legislation, institutional plans, programs, and projects focused on digital inclusion—with bibliographic research and semi-structured interviews with EJA students. The work develops a theoretical discussion on the relationship between the State, public policies, and technology, highlighting how digital inclusion policies emerge in a context of productive restructuring and neoliberalism. It is observed that, although official discourses point to the democratization of access to technologies, a technocratic approach prevails, centered on infrastructure and connectivity, to the detriment of critical and emancipatory pedagogical processes. Furthermore, the research presents Adult and Youth Education (EJA) from its historical and legal framework, showing how this modality has consolidated itself as a space of educational rights for historically marginalized workers, but also as a scenario permeated by contradictions. The limits of so- called exclusionary inclusion in EJA are discussed, indicating that, although policies and programs broaden access to school for young and adult workers, the permanence and quality of education are often compromised. The research also includes a literature review on EJA integrated with Professional and Technological Education (EJA-EPT), in which digital inclusion appears as a strategic axis that is still poorly consolidated. In this context, the reality of Youth and Adult Education (EJA) at IFG is analyzed, highlighting the specificities of the target audience—historically marginalized young and adult workers—and the contradictions between institutional policies of digital inclusion and the real conditions of access, permanence, and appropriation of technologies by students. The results indicate that, although IFG has developed relevant initiatives, these remain limited and fragmented, revealing the absence of a consistent and continuous pedagogical policy. The students' statements highlight persistent difficulties in the use of technologies, from entry to permanence in the courses, which reinforces the need for more comprehensive institutional strategies. It is concluded that digital inclusion, beyond simple access to equipment and connectivity, must be understood as a formative right, essential to the emancipation of individuals and the realization of a critical and quality public education for young and adult workers.