Creches comunitárias e democracia participativa: novas perspectivas à infância uberlandense (1983-8)

Abstract

This study aimed to present some considerations concerning to the historical context of childhood scholar education in Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, prioritizing, organization, care and maintenance of community day-care centers, which has been shaped during the political architecture of the so-called Participative Democracy, in the period from 1983 to 1988, which was marked by transformations in the context of political democratization in the country as well as its impact at the local level. Therefore, we sought to study further the issues specific to care for disadvantaged children in Brazil and in the city, uncovering political educational and social hidden purposes on this movement in order to understand the reality of childhood education in the city. We tried to detect how much Uberlândia day-care centers could be configured as family care, and if care practices has outgrown the educational practices within those institutions. Methodologically, the following procedures were performed: analysis of the literature concerning to the history of childhood and schooling, with further emphasis on the history of day care centers in Brazil; We also consider the studies related to organized social movements, interviewed the characters involved to the process of formation and consolidation of day-care centers in Uberlandia, sought references in the legislation as a way to identify questions concerning to daycare centre, as well as in periodicals and images (iconographic source). We also analyzed the reports produced by SMTAS about the work done at the community day-care centers and Administration action plan related to Participative Democracy, and also the budgets of the municipality in order to identify those data that was addressed these institutions. Therefore, all this sources signaled important evidences for the development of this research. Among the evidence specified by those sources such as bibliography related to the history of childhood education, interviews, analysis of legislation, periodical press, reports and budgets of the municipality during the study period, we can affirm that the analysis of these documents point to an effective social movement on its path marked by conflicts, struggles and achievements. These achievements, although not ideal, were somehow important to the society at that time, considering the position prior to 1983. Thus, these achievements were fundamental to reconfigure the understanding of infant, childhood and childhood education on the educational context at Uberlândia.