Educação especial e política inclusiva em Duque de Caxias: análise do projeto "buscando uma escola aberta à diversidade" (2001-2007)

Abstract

This research presents reflections on how the municipality of Duque de Caxias implemented educational policies for people with disabilities. The main objective was to analyze the work of the Special Education Team of the Municipal Department of Education of Duque de Caxias, materialized in the project “Seeking a School Open to Diversity”, during the period 2001–2007. As a theoretical framework, we adopted historical-dialectical materialism, which enabled a critical analysis of the implementation of inclusive policies. The methodology consisted of a bibliographic survey and analysis of theses and dissertations on special and inclusive education in Duque de Caxias, available on the Capes database; a survey of municipal legislation on the subject; and the examination of documents prepared and developed by the Special Education Team within the project. The results indicate that the team at the Municipal Department of Education made a significant effort to implement inclusive policies in the municipality, promoting teacher training and pedagogical systematizations on the subject. However, the document produced by the team adopts as its theoretical framework the ideology of hegemonic liberal inclusive policies, which present limitations in addressing inequalities related to access, permanence, and the quality of public education, without pointing out possible criticisms or weaknesses of such public policy.