Distance education for teacher training in government agendas (PNEs) and in “voids”

Abstract

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14244/198271991012

This paper presents an analysis of  the trajectory of government agendas and their commitments in focusing on the use of distance education (DE) to achieve the qualifying goals of basic education teachers at a higher education level. Based on the national education plans that, according to LDB/96, should be the most representative of these agendas, a retrospective of the paths taken during the period of the PNE 2001-2010 is initially made. Then, this paper presents proposals and issues related to teacher education through DE, which were taken into consideration when elaborating the PNE 2011-2020. After verifying how these proposals and issues were inserted (or not) in the PNE 2011-2020, which was sent by MEC to the National Congress in December 2010, the study gives an overview of actions taken by the federal government during the “void” period created in the agenda due to the long proceedings in the National Congress (2011-2013), with data from the government program Open University of Brazil System (Sistema Universidade Aberta do Brasil - UAB). Finally, issues raised by the academic community about the current situation are mentioned. They gather, on one hand, traditional criticisms about the quality of distance education courses in general or how they have been established in Brazil. According to these researchers, DE has a specific methodology that is not limited to the use of TICs. On the other hand, questions arise, such as the need for institutionalization of DE in federal institutions that are members of UAB system, surpassing the logic of membership-benefit and that of projects funded with bondless grants.

Keywords: Expansion of Higher Education, Public Policies on Higher Education, Teacher Education, Distance Education