EDUCAÇÃO A DISTÂNCIA NO BRASIL: CAMINHO PARA A DEMOCRACIA E A JUSTIÇA SOCIAL OU EXPANSÃO DO MERCADO EDUCACIONAL?

Abstract

Distance Education (DE) in Brazil has sparked intense debates, sometimes being considered a tool to democratize access to education, and sometimes as a vector for the commercialization of education. The research starts with the following question: Does DE contribute to the promotion of democracy and social justice or is it subordinate to the interests of the educational market in Brazil? Using a qualitative methodology according to Minayo (2016), which involves documentary analysis and a bibliographic review based on Gil (1999), the study investigates statistical data, public policies, and academic studies on the expansion of DE in the country. To theoretically support the reflections, we use the work Educação contra a barbaridade (2019), a collection of texts that problematize the directions of contemporary education. The results indicate that DE has played an important role in expanding access to education for marginalized populations and those living in remote regions. However, its expansion, especially in the private sector, has often been guided by market interests. This logic compromises the quality of education, limits access to adequate pedagogical resources, and reinforces preexisting educational inequalities. It is concluded that distance learning has significant potential for social transformation, as long as it is integrated into an educational project committed to equity and social justice. However, when guided exclusively by market logic, this modality perpetuates and even deepens structural inequalities in the Brazilian educational system.