THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION AND HOMELESSNESS IN BRAZIL AND MARANHÃO: AN ANALYSIS OF LAYERS OF VULNERABILITY BASED ON FLORENCIA LUNA

Abstract

This article analyzes the right to education of homeless people in Brazil, with a specific focus on the state of Maranhão, based on Florencia Luna’s theory of layers of vulnerability. Although education is constitutionally guaranteed as a fundamental right, its effective implementation remains limited for socially vulnerable groups. Methodologically, the study adopts a qualitative, theoretical-documentary approach, combining critical literature review with the analysis of legal frameworks and public data. The discussion draws on critical pedagogy, human rights, and vulnerability theories, engaging with authors such as Paulo Freire, Judith Butler, Achille Mbembe, and Boaventura de Sousa Santos. The findings indicate that educational exclusion among homeless populations results from overlapping layers of vulnerability—documentary, institutional, territorial, symbolic, and socioeconomic—intensified in Maranhão by historical and racial inequalities. The article concludes that ensuring the right to education requires intersectoral public policies, inclusive pedagogical practices, and the recognition of homeless people as rights holders and knowledge producers.