Educação de jovens e adultos no Brasil: Contradições do capital e o enlace necessário com a saúde coletiva e os direitos humanos

Abstract

This qualitative research investigates the historical, political, and pedagogical configurations of Youth and Adult Education (EJA) in Brazil, focusing on the transformations in the last two decades. Based on the assumption that EJA constitutes a strategic field for reducing educational and social inequalities, this study problematizes the tensions between the normative orientations of official documents and the effective practices developed in school contexts. Grounded in historical dialectical materialism and the Freirean tradition, the research analyzes EJA as an expression of the structural contradictions of the capitalist mode of production and, simultaneously, as a space for resistance and affirmation of rights. The results indicate that despite normative advances, structural challenges persist, including the precariousness of teaching work, lack of adequate infrastructure, curricular segmentation, and stigmatization of the target audience. The analysis reveals the need for an epistemological reconfiguration that recognizes youth and adults as subjects of rights, culture, and knowledge, overcoming compensatory approaches. Finally, it is proposed that linking EJA discussions with public health is fundamental, understanding education as a social determinant of the health-disease process. The study concludes that the effectiveness of the right to education for youth and adults demands consistent investments, specialized teacher training, and intersectoral policies that articulate education, work, health, and citizenship.