CHALLENGES AND PERSPECTIVES OF YOUTH AND ADULT EDUCATION: REPORT OF AN INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE AT PARAÍSO SCHOOL IN BRASIL NOVO – PA

Abstract

This article presents an internship experience report, aiming to analyze the challenges and opportunities experienced by Youth and Adult Education (EJA) students and how these factors impact their retention and learning. Therefore, we chose the following research problem: What are the challenges and opportunities experienced by Youth and Adult Education (EJA) students at the Paraíso School in Brasil Novo, Pará, and how do these factors impact their retention and learning? EJA is essential because it offers the right to return to school to those who were unable to study at the appropriate age, and is seen as a field of rights and a space for valuing individuals' trajectories and knowledge, not simply as a means of making up for school. The work also discusses the concept of andragogy, which recognizes that adults learn differently than children, valuing their life experiences. The study adopted a qualitative, descriptive-exploratory approach, using participant observation during the internship and the administration of semi-structured questionnaires to regular students and one dropout. It can be concluded that the challenges of EJA are intrinsically linked to the socioeconomic and emotional conditions of students, and that dropout rates are not the result of disinterest, but rather of an unfeasible reality of reconciliation. EJA at Escola Paraíso is recognized as a space for resistance and transformation, but it requires more consistent public policies and pedagogical practices that value the student experience, ensuring not only access but also real conditions for retention and completion of studies.