MARX AND THE SCHOOL – THE PLACE OF THE SCHOOL IN THE MARXIST PERSPECTIVE OF EDUCATION

Abstract

It is known that Karl Marx never wrote a specific work dedicated to education and, consequently, to the school space. However, by analyzing his reflections on the human being and his reproduction in the capitalist production system, several theorists have extracted fundamental contributions to the understanding of the Marxian vision of education, especially with regard to the formation of the working class. In this context, the present study aims to investigate the Marxian conception of education from the interpretation of classical authors of Marxism who have focused on this theme. Through the analysis of works by thinkers such as Mario Alighiero Manacorda (2017), Gaudêncio Frigotto (2001), Mariano Fernández Enguita (1993), Demerval Saviani (1991), among others, we sought to clarify how Marx understood the function of the school and the educational process within capitalist society. The research adopts a qualitative approach, based on the perspective of Minayo (2016), being predominantly bibliographic, as proposed by Gil (2008). In addition, it adopts an analytical-comprehensive bias anchored in the Weberian perspective. The results of the research indicate that, for Marx, the school should not be a mere instrument for the reproduction of relations of domination, but rather a potential space for the critical and emancipatory formation of workers. However, within capitalist society, the school institution tends to be co-opted by the interests of the bourgeoisie, serving as a means of ideological conformation and maintenance of the class structure. With regard to the content of education, Marx emphasized the need for polytechnic education, integrating theory and practice, as a way to overcome the alienation of work and ensure an education that was not merely instrumental, but that enabled social transformation.