Um breve tempo de inovação educacional: o Ginásio Estadual Vocacional de Vila Santa Maria, de São Caetano do Sul (1968-1970)

Abstract

This study aims to investigate a school named Ginásio Estadual Vocacional de Vila Santa Maria, which was located in São Caetano do Sul, São Paulo, Brazil, and existed briefly from 1968 to 1970 in a turbulent political scenario of civil-military dictatorship, during the Years of Lead. This investigation is part of a broader research on the vocational schools that belonged to an experimental educational project developed between 1961 and 1970 in the State of São Paulo. In 1967, these schools began to face an increasing opposition from Secretaria da Educação – entity in charge of educational matters. This research is based on history of Brazilian education and memory studies, and the concepts of Maurice Halbwachs, Jacques Le Goff and Michael Pollak are taken as references with oral history being used as one of the research methodologies. The objective is to verify the experiences, specific aspects and peculiarities related to this institution and its differences from the other unities, especially in what regards to the partnership of the Serviço de Ensino Vocacional (SEV – Service of Vocational Education) with the city administration, considering the political context of São Caetano do Sul in that period of time. This study also aims to identify the legacy of this – pedagogical, curricular, human – experience on the life stories of alumni and former teachers