RACIAL PREJUDICE IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION EARLY YEARS: A METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH IN THE CLASSROOM

Abstract

The formation of Brazilian society was greatly influenced by the process of miscegenation, which derives from the crossing of blacks, Europeans, and indigenous peoples. Thus, it is notorious to say that we are marked by the vast ethnic-racial diversity. However, it is possible to recognize the process of slavery, which resulted in sequelae that the black population still carries today. Although a false idea of racial democracy has been disseminated over the years, racism has not been overcome and is structurally present in all segments of society, including schools. To change ingrained prejudices, we consider that education is one of the most important means possible to contribute to the recognition of diversity, in addition to helping the groups that constitute a sense of mutual respect that constitute the rich variety of cultural identities in Brazilian society. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate whether racial prejudice exists in schools, identify whether teachers work with the theme, and from this perspective, say which methodologies they use in the school environment with elementary school students in the early years of Basic Education. For this, the methodology of this work has a qualitative approach, therefore, a questionnaire with open questions was intended, to be answered by teachers who work in elementary education in early years in municipal public schools in the northwest region of São Paulo. The results obtained demonstrate a great concern of teachers with the subject, and as the work in the classroom is important, in this way it is clear the proposition of a vast work with different methodological approaches.