RACIAL QUOTAS IN FEDERAL TECHNICAL-VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IN PIAUÍ: AN ANALYSIS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION POLICY AT IFPI (2013–2024)

Abstract

The reservation of places for self-declared Black, Brown, and Indigenous students in federal vocational education institutions is a central pillar of Brazilian affirmative action, established by Law No. 12,711/2012 and revised by Law No. 14,723/2023. This article examines how this policy was carried out at the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Piauí (IFPI) between 2013 and 2024, focusing on access, retention, and course completion. Drawing on a qualitative approach, using bibliographic and documentary procedures that combine documentary analysis with a descriptive survey of secondary data from the Nilo Peçanha Platform, INEP, and IFPI institutional reports, the study finds consistent growth in the share of Black and Brown students, from 58% in 2013 to approximately 74% in 2021, alongside persistent racial gaps in dropout and graduation rates, linked to insufficient student assistance coverage. The findings suggest that the effectiveness of quota policies depends on linking enrollment guarantees with concrete conditions for academic persistence.