SCHOOL INCLUSION AND THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION WITH EQUITY: NORMATIVE PERSPECTIVES AND CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES

Abstract

Brazil faces profound historical, social, cultural, and economic inequalities, which are reflected in multiple forms of school exclusion, affecting people with disabilities, the deaf, quilombola communities, Black people, and Indigenous peoples. This article aims to analyze school inclusion from the perspective of the right to education with equity, articulating philosophical, legal, and educational foundations. The research adopts a qualitative approach, based on a critical analysis of legal frameworks, a systematic review of academic literature on inclusion and equity, and a reflective study of public education policies in Brazil. The results indicate that legislation, when articulated with educational policies and normative foundations, enables curricular adaptation, guides teachers’ continuing education, strengthens school leaders’ training, and directs institutional organization, favoring the inclusion of Black people, quilombolas, deaf individuals, Indigenous peoples, and people with disabilities, while also reducing regional and socioeconomic inequalities. The analysis shows that educational equity depends not only on the existence of legal norms but on the coherent articulation between public policies, teacher education, and democratic school management committed to inclusion. It is concluded that the right to education with equity, supported by legal frameworks and inclusive practices, constitutes an instrument of social justice, broadening access and permanence for historically excluded groups, promoting diversity, citizenship, and the construction of a more democratic and inclusive educational system.