EDUCATIONAL PATHWAYS AND BARRIERS TO INCLUSION: A STUDY ON THE SCHOOLING OF QUILOMBOLA YOUTH IN THE MARACAXETA COMMUNITY, IRITUIA-PA

Abstract

This article aimed to analyze the challenges faced by young people from the Maracaxeta quilombola community, located in the São Miguel Arcanjo territory in Irituia-PA, regarding access to, retention in and completion of basic education, with a focus on high school. The research, with a qualitative approach, combined a literature review, document analysis, and interviews with 20 young people aged between 16 and 20. The results reveal structural obstacles such as the distance to schools, poor transportation, lack of teachers, and the absence of alignment between the school curriculum and the students' ethno-racial identity. It was found that none of the interviewees had access to quilombola education, and few were familiar with the concept of ethno-racial education. The analysis points to the presence of institutional racism and highlights the urgency of public policies that value local knowledge, promote equity, and contribute to the empowerment of quilombola youth by recognizing their territories as legitimate spaces of knowledge production.