STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL MANAGEMENT

CONTEXT, LIMITS AND PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

The present work aims to analyze the participation mechanisms used by the students of a high school in the development of strategies in school management, relating concepts and conditions of participation in school management, considering the conceptions of participation that students have, and the possibilities of decision-making by students. Qualitative research was the chosen methodology, and the approaches were documental analysis and a focus group, student participation, and youth protagonism in collective decision-making. In the theoretical construction, we sought theoretical assumptions capable of fostering discussion about the importance of public policies in education for the legitimization of democratic school management, through the participation of the school community, as well as the clarification of the main participation mechanisms that can be put to use in school units, based on legal documents. We specifically discussed conceptions, conditioning factors, the perspectives of student participation in the diverse social spheres, especially at school, and the understanding of juvenile protagonism, as a condition for students' appropriation as active participants in decision-making at school. Finally, we present an analysis of the documents investigated and the observations of the focus group's meetings, made up of high school class leaders, which took place at the school during the research period. The results reveal that the school offers the community some means for student participation, such as the election of class leaders, school management, and the school collegiate. However, there are indications that students, for not having political and emancipation foundations, cannot be considered autonomous participants in the decision-making process with the school management.

Key-words: Student participation, Democratic management, Youth protagonism