Debates and disputes in the Brazilian national policy on Special Education

Abstract

During the discussions related to the Brazilian Federal Constitution, in the 1980s, there were several disputes of interest among different sectors of society towards the establishment of public policies in Brazil. Special education policies have been defined under such circumstances, that is, under the pressures from social segments. Regarding that dynamic, the paper seeks to emphasize the role played by different actors (specialized agencies, Ministry of Education technicians, groups of people with disabilities and their families, the Federal Prosecution Service, special education researchers) in the proposition and implementation of the national policy on special education in Brazil. The period considered in the study was between 2001 and 2018. The relevant information was collected in newspapers, online news, commentators’ blogs, webpages representing the government, and specialized agencies from Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). The period was characterized by disputes, with the evident action by historical partnerships designed for the formulation of guidelines for special education, and by the strengthening of another group, composed of parents, researchers, technicians and political consultants, who explicitly started challenging the specialized institutions’ historical performance. Such disputes led to the establishment of a polarity that has not favored the development of propositions or projects tailored to the specific needs of Special Education students, with regards to the attention to resources and to educational specificities, as well as to the public financing for actions in that area.