ARITHMETIC OF EXCLUSION: ANTI-ABLEIST CHALLENGES IN BASIC EDUCATION IN ANTÔNIO GONÇALVES-BA

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the screening of students with learning difficulties as a tool to guarantee human rights and combat ableism in basic education. The quantitative, observational, and descriptive study was conducted in Antônio Gonçalves-BA, using data from the CAEd Platform and interventional assessments with 6th-grade Elementary School students. The investigation occurred in three stages: diagnostic screening, application of an interventional assessment, and pedagogical intervention with teachers. Results revealed that 100% of assessed students were at lagging or intermediate levels in Mathematics, with no students at the adequate level. After the intervention, improvements were observed in visual and geometric skills (up to 57% growth), but conceptual gaps and functional literacy issues persisted. The analysis highlighted that learning gaps are strongly intersected by socioeconomic and racial markers (77.3% brown and 22.7% Black). It concludes that early diagnosis and the distinction between learning difficulties and disorders are vital to avoid pathologizing social vulnerabilities and to ensure an inclusive and emancipatory education.