Introduction

Youth and Adult Education - YAE (EJA in its Portuguese acronym) - is Basic Education modality which searches for meeting demands by young and adult people who have no access at school or have not concluded this schooling stage in the appropriate age. It is a teaching modality which has been occupied a secondary place in education policies, both from the financing viewpoint and the teacher training, appropriate didactic material production, and as a field to be consolidated, it is open to every cultivation, as highlighted by ^{Arroyo (2006}). Since the Federal Constitution in 1988, this teaching modality is constituted as a subjective public right, which acquires repairing, equalizing, and qualifying functions from the Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais [National Curriculum Guidelines] in 2000 (BRASIL, 2000). Analysis of articles published by Journals of the Portal da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior [Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel Website] (CAPES Foundation) of last 20 years (2000-2019) has made evident that despite some conceptual and methodological limits, there were important advances in the public policies of/for YAE, especially from 2000.

However, it is paramount highlight that there were disruptions last years in the advances that have occurred in the YAE public policies field. A first disruption may be observed by the Constitutional amendment nº 95/2016, which establishes a public spending ceiling for 20 years (BRASIL, 2016), what have strong impact on education financing. More recently, the Base Nacional Comum Curricular [Common National Curriculum Base] implementation (BNCC), which guides the curriculum of Basic Education school units’ elaboration may be considered another disruption, because it did not presented guidelines for youth and adult education (BRASIL, 2017). After Jair Messias Bolsonaro election, who took the presidency in 2019, there was no proposal for this teaching modality, on the opposite: in his government first month, the secretariat for continuing education, literacy, diversity, and inclusion, called Secretaria de Educação Continuada, Alfabetização, Diversidade e Inclusão [Secretariat of Continuing Education, Literacy, Diversity and Inclusion] (SECADI), was extinct, and among other modality, it was responsible for YAE. To replace SECADI, two new ones were created: the Secretaria de Alfabetização [Literacy Secretariat] and the Secretaria de Modalidades Especializadas da Educação [Specialized Modalities of Education Secretariat]. However, after half his time government has passed and three Ministries of Education replaced, there is any consistent position to strength youth and adult education in an emancipatory, democratic perspective, and as a right. Instead, the Settlement nº 1 (Resolução nº 1, de 28 de maio de 2021) was approved, instituting Operational Guidelines for Youth and Adult Education regarding the aspects of its alignment to the Política Nacional de Alfabetização [National Policy for Literacy] (PNA) , to the Base Nacional Comum Curricular [Common National Curriculum Base] (known as BNCC), and to the Youth and Adult Distance Education (BRASIL, 2021). The construction of that document received scathing criticism by the academic Community represented by the GT18 - Educação de Pessoas Jovens e Adultas² [Work Group for Youth and Adult People Education] of Associação Nacional de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa em Educação [National Association for Graduate Studies and Research in Education] (ANPEd), because of the way as it was constructed, with few dialogues, as well as by the Youth and Adult Education concepts far from the democratic and emancipatory perspective inscribed in the right field (ANPEd, 2020; BRASIL, 2021).

According to the analysis by Ação Educativa, a nonprofit civil association which works in education, culture, and youth fields in the Human Rights perspective, when the first 100 days of the Bolsonaro government were completed at the time, several uncertainties for the Education of Youth and Adults were reported. Further SECADI extinction, which was responsible by actions development for YAE, the Comissão Nacional de Alfabetização e Educação de Jovens e Adultos [National Commission for Literacy and Youth and Adult Education] (CNAEJA) was also extinct. It gathered representatives of social movements and of civil Society for consultancy with the Ministérico da Educação [Ministry of Education] (MEC) (AÇÃO EDUCATIVA, 2019).

Therefore, a review on the academic production on the Public Policies of/for Youth and Adult Education is necessary to enable reflections on the impacts, challenges, and disruptions of these policies. Under this perspective, this text has as aim at presenting a survey on publications about Public Policies of/for Youth and Adult Education in Brazil³, with CAPES Journals Website as informative base.

However, it is important highlight that the expression public policies because it is a study theme which encompass different Science areas, such as Applied Social Sciences, Political Science, Economics and Public Administration Science, and comprise diversified theoretical and conceptual viewpoints and methodological analysis, it is configured as presenting multiples nuances, conceptual and theoretical ones, and constantly in resignification (^{SOUZA, 2006}; ^{DIAS; MATOS, 2012}). Ergo, it is not restricted to a single concept. Then in this study, the option was made for using the public policies concept presented by ^{Teixeira (2002}) because we understand it as which better meet the theoretical-methodological foundations in academic Productions focused on Public Policies and Youth and Adult Education and Public Policies of/for YAE policies analyzed. The reason is because these Productions are centered in laws and decrees which institute them, and how They are unfolded in their effectiveness through projects, programs, campaigns, and others. According to the author mentioned,

“Public Policies” are guidelines, guiding principles for Public Power acting, rules, and procedures for relationships between the Public Power and society, mediations between actors of society and the state. In this case they policies made explicit, systematized, or formulated in documents (laws, programs, financing lines) which guide actions that normally involve public resources investments (^{TEIXEIRA, 2002}, p. 3, our translation).

In view of the object and objective focused on this work, we highlight this definition presents a scope that makes possible analyzing the works set which reflets the public policies polysemic way in the YAE studies and research scenery in Brazil.

It is also important highlight that in Brazil, according to ^{Kerstenetzky (2006}), debate on social policies is polarized between two styles, universal public policies and focused public policies. Universal public policies are those thought and implemented contemplating all the people to ensure rights preconized by laws in force in the country. In Other words, they are policies that ensure equally for all the citizens, no matter the previous conditioning (^{LARIÚ, 2004}), rights provided for legislation. Focused public policies, on the other hand, might be defined as those addressed to solve demands and/or specific problems from determined individuals who are in disadvantage to access universal basic rights. According to ^{Saraiva (2004}, p. 92, our translation), they are policies “[...] designed just for alleviate the situation of certain individuals, or then they are certain public policies externalities”. From this viewpoint, Public Policies of/for YAE belong to the focused public policies conceptual field.

Methodological paths taken

To carry out this research, some options⁴ were selected regarding the paths to be taken. Qualitative approach was chosen because it is considered as “a consolidated investigation modality to answer the challenge of understanding the human training/formative aspects, their cultural relationships and buildings in group, community and personal dimensions”, as highlighted by ^{Gatti and André (2010}, p. 30, our translation). We understand that there is no neutrality in research, and that choices are made in the investigation course that need to be explicated when presenting the findings. Moreover, this is a bibliographic research inspired by works “State of Knowledge” type because it is study that approaches only a publication sector on the theme studied: papers published and available at CAPES Journals Website (^{ROMANOWSKI; ENS, 2006}, p. 39).

To perform this research, the following questions were presented: Which are the most studied topics on Public Policies of/for Youth and Adult Education? Who are the authors dedicated to theme? Who are the authors are base for the papers found? Which are the main concepts mobilized by the authors? What is this production geographic distribution in national territory?

For a first moment, an initial Reading of available publications in CAPES database was performed. The papers were simultaneously surveyed by the research coordination with no initial and final date limit for the searching in the platform. With the list of 70 papers found in the public policies category, the works were searched and next the titles, abstracts and Keywords were read to verify the papers pertinence in the category. Thereunto, the following parameters were adopted: 1) Public Policies and YAE; 2) Public Policies of/for YAE; 3) Papers resulted from research; and 4) those focused on Public Policies, Education Policies or Programs and Projects of/for Youth and Adult Education in Brazil.

Criteria used for metadata or metainformation systematization were: identifying the journals, plus year, publication city and state; work title; author(s); abstract summary; main findings; categories and concepts used; keywords; methodology; main fundamentals and/or theoretical references. Taking these criteria as basis, from the 70 papers found, 35 were forwent by the following reasons: 17 were repetitions; 5 were experience reports; 4 were focused on Vocational Education; 2 were about teacher training; 2 were about Higher Education; 1 was a study on the Basic Education Curriculum; 1 was on the trajectories; 1 was focused on Rural Education; 1, about Basic Education student cost; and 1 was a digest. Therefore, the 35 papers were read trying to build a group to make understandable the production on Public Policies, Education Policies, and Programs of/for Youth and Adult Education.

In the second moment, with describers Public Policies and Youth and Adult Education Policies and Public Policies of/for Youth and Adult Education, another search was performed on CAPES Journals Website aiming at finding more recent papers, from 2018 and 2019, and anything which was not found in the first search carried out by the research general coordination team. Then, another 36 papers were found, and they were analyzed with the same criteria from the previous stage. Knowing information details within the publications metadata or metainformation was necessary, searching for alignments with works previously analyzed. An initial publications analysis was carried out from metadata available, and when necessary, from abstruse data identified in the publications. This analysis resulted in another information depuration (metadata or metainformation) and identified problems in 6 works, which were forwent: 1 because it was not available; and other 5 did not established relation between Public Policies and YAE / Public Policies of/for YAE. At the end of this second moment in the research, 65 papers were counted (35 from the first moment and 30 from the second one), which made the bibliographic corpus for analysis.

Then the data treatment process is directly associated to some criteria definitions and selecting part of the information set. It means a positioning from the choice process, decision and definition of what information might or should be tabulated. Further the indication or mention in the work or metadata report, it was searched for deepen in publications in an investigation way those which adopted as analysis criteria laws, programs, projects, and campaigns addressed to the YAE. Thereby, the intention was approximation of what was proposed by ^{Mainardes (2018}, p. 192, our translation), “[...] overcoming descriptive analysis towards higher abstraction levels”.

CAPES Journals Website publications overview

Considering that there was no time frame, in other words, a specific period established for publications survey, we ask: why the discussion on the theme starts to be disclosed in CAPES Journals only from 2000? Probably because thitherto publications were printed, and only after 2000 some Journals start to offer publications through digital media. Also, since just from 1990, with enlargement of neoliberal policies⁵ some discussions on YAE were made visible and deepen. In a certain way, in the same period the governors started to be pressed by social movements to assume more purposeful action in the institutional context of Public Policies of/for YAE to meet what the Federal Constitution 1988 (BRASIL, 2020) has preconized, education as a right for all the people and State and Family duty.

Resulting from the metadata and metainformation analysis, 65 papers were found with the research, published by Journals, and made available on the CAPES Website in the period from 2000 to 2019 that deal with Public Policies of/for YAE. From Graph 1, some important characteristics can be inferred, on the publications’ context. The first one is notice out that even before a large variation, this period of almost 20 years had a growing increase in the number of publications on the subject. The second characteristic is about the years 2009 (with 6 papers), 2010 (8 papers) and 2019 (10 papers) as the years with larger concentration of publications on the subject.

SOURCE: Metadata systematized by the authors (2020).

GRAPH 1 YEAR OF PUBLICATION OF PAPERS  

Not by chance, we noticed out that the political-economic-social context contributed significantly to elevate the number of publications in the years 2009 and 2010. It is paramount highlight that in this period several events made possible enlarge the national debate on public education, and YAE as a subject within this discussion was favored by the context as well. However, especially from 2004, with Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva governments, important changes were carried out in the MEC with creation of the previously mentioned Secretaria de Educação Continuada Alfabetização e Diversidade [Secretariat of Continuing Education Literacy and Diversity] (Secad) and the Secretaria de Educação Profissional e Tecnológica [Professional and Technological Education Secretariat] (Setec), as highlited by ^{Machado (2018}, p. 22). In 2006, also during this government the Programa Nacional de Integração da Educação Profissional com a Educação Básica na Modalidade de Educação de Jovens e Adultos [National Program for the Integration between Professional and Basic Education at the Youth and Adult Education Modality] (Proeja) was created through Decree nº 5.840 (BRASIL, 2006a). Still in this period the Grupo de Trabalho Interministerial sobre a Juventude [Inter-ministerial work Group on Youth] was created, and a Política Nacional de Juventude [Youth National Policy] was formulated, addressed to people from 15 to 29 years. An emergence program called Programa Nacional de Inclusão de Jovens [National Program of Youth Inclusion] (Projovem) was launched in February 2005, proposing articulation among Elementary Education, professional training, and Community Action in an integrated pedagogical project, as highlighted by ^{Rummert, Bilio and Gaspar (2017}, p. 51). Fundo de Desenvolvimento da Educação Básica [Basic Education Development Fund] (FUNDEB), is a creation that deserves detach. Through the Law nº 11.494/07 (BRASIL, 2007), FUNDEB includes YAE enrollments in the calculation of Basic Education funding, further other programs strengthen in different public management spheres, such as the Programa Nacional de Educação na Reforma Agrária [National Program for Education in Agrarian Reform] (PRONERA), legislation and Basic Education funding changes, expansion of vocational education offer, and others.

Graph 1 shows that previously 2007, the number of publications was greatly reduced, and registers complete publications absence in 2002 and 2003. From 2007 there is a gradual increase in the publications probably due to the advances in the public policies field addressed to YAE, as detached by mentioning Proeja, with its Public Notice - Edital Proeja Capes/Setec nº 03/2006 (BRASIL, 2006b) -, with research public funding to create researchers’ networks including Professional Education agenda Integrated to YAE. Besides, there are Public Notices from Programa Observatório da Educação [Education Observatory Program] (OBEDUC), linked to CAPES, which shelter research projects in YAE field among other subjects. Findings from research carried out under these Public Notices started appearing in ANPEd meetings from 2007, by work groups GT 09 - Work and Education, and GT 18 - Youth and Adult People Education, as detached by ^{Machado (2018}). However, the significant growth in the number of publications in 2019 also points to an analytical effort by researchers to understand effects of regression in education field started in 2016, especially on Youth and Adult Education with SECADI extinction, reducing public funding in research and budget cuts for public universities just to mention some of them.

Regarding the methodology adopted by the authors/researchers to perform their investigations, firstly is documental research with 19 papers, followed by qualitative research in second place with 13, and historical review is in third place with 13 papers.

SOURCE: Metadata systematized by the authors (2020).

GRAPH 2 METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH  

Methodology was not clear or was not appropriately explained in a significant number of papers. Some of them present it in a superficial way, and others even point the approach used. Then, from the objective and categories of analysis and information mobilized, we search for frame them in a methodology and/or methodological approach.

Regarding the publication distribution by regions and federative States, as the Graph 3 shows, Southeast region with 32 papers and Southern region with 17 are those presenting the larger number of publications, followed by the Northeast region with 9 papers. Northern region with 5 papers and Midwest region, with only 1 paper, are those presenting less publications.

SOURCE: Metadata systematized by the authors (2020).

GRAPH 3 PUBLICATION DISTRIBUTION BY REGIONS  

Southeast and Southern presenting larger number of publications could be explained by the amount of Education Graduation Programs in these regions. Northeast, on the other hand, historically presents tradition in experiences and research in Youth and Adult Education field is only in the third place. There is still a Journal in Cordoba, Argentina. This publication is among the Journals evaluated by CAPES, and the papers deals with the focus in this research: policies of/for Youth and Adult Education in Brazil.

Regarding the publication distribution by federative states (except for the international one, then with no link), as the Graph 4 shows, São Paulo with 17 papers and Rio de Janeiro with 10 papers are detached. It is important highlight States of Bahia and Santa Catarina with 6 publications each one, also Minas Gerais, Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul with 5 papers between 2013 and 2019. The State of Art research carried out by ^{Haddad et al. (2000}), Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo are the States detached by the research in Youth and Adult Education Field. Haddad et al. (2000) highlighted in that moment that the two States were responsible for 59% of national production.

SOURCE: Metadata systematized by the authors (2020).

GRAPH 4 PUBLICATION DISTRIBUTION BY STATES  

Two Journals are detached by the number of publications on the public policies and public policies of/for YAE: Revista Brasileira de Educação [Education Brazilian Journal] (RBE), published by the Associação Nacional de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa em Educação [National Association on Graduation and Research in Education] (ANPEd), in Rio de Janeiro-RJ, with 6 papers, and the Revista Educação & Sociedade [Education & Society Journal], published by the Centro de Estudos Educação e Sociedade [Education and Society Study Center] (CEDES), Universidade Estadual de Campinas [State University of Campinas] (Unicamp), in Campinas-SP, with 3 papers.

The set of papers published shows 7 authors/researchers detached by the number of publications: Maria Clara Di Pierro (8 papers), Sérgio Haddad (5), Jaqueline Pereira Ventura (3), Sonia Maria Rummert (3), Andreza Maria Batista do Nascimento Tavares (2), Márcio Adriano Azevedo (2), and Patrícia Lessa Santos Costas (2 papers). Together these authors represent 39.5% of publications analyzed. As revealed by the Chart 1, their studies approach public policies of/for YAE in different perspectives.

Searching for deepen our investigative analysis and based on the aims presented for this work, once again we call upon ^{Mainardes (2018}) work to qualify our reflections by following his guidelines:

[...] it is essential that research goes beyond the descriptive level and that researchers make their theoretical frameworks of analysis explicit, in other words, epistemological perspective, epistemological positioning and indications that the epistemethodology is effectively employed (^{MAINARDES, 2018}, p. 191, our translation).

From this understanding and considering the need for deepen on the theoretical references that support the publications analyzed, 3 reference groups were identified. The first one is composed by 4 authors and contributes to define theoretical conceptions in education field, even many times those mentioned did not have their conceptions properly deepen or related to the treatment to the objects studied. They are: Antônio Gramsci, and the importance of education for the historical changing process; Michel Foucault, who was a philosopher-activist detached because developed reflection on the truth, transgression and power; Pierre Bourdieu, who elaborated an important referential from the critical sociology on the social inequalities’ reproduction mechanism; and Theodor Adorno, who based discussions on education and autonomy in Brazil and who were a detach from the so-called Frankfurt school.

The second group was formed by other references, and it is large and frequent in YAE field. Among them: Celso de Rui Beisiegel, who was a militant theorist and pioneer in defense of popular education; Dermeval Saviani, who is recognized as an education philosopher and he is directly inserted in the so-called dialectical pedagogy with contributions on the well-known historical-critical pedagogy studies, widely known and studied; Gaudêncio Frigotto, an important Brazilian intellectual recognized by adopting reflective and critical positioning and one of the most important references on work and education discussions and the emancipatory integral education field; Miguel González Arroyo, an important author in integral education not only addressed to the time of permanence at school but in the integrality of life training and discussions on the need for public spheres contemplates school and training process that face social vulnerabilities and promote the right ensure through education; Moacir Gadotti, who among several themes that dialogues is highlighted the teacher critical training, Brazilian education theories and pedagogical thoughts, pedagogical ideas history, and cultural diversity and education for all; and Paulo Freire, who further have being an educator also is worldwide known as one of the most highlighted thinkers of history pedagogy, and the important contributor of the so-called critical pedagogy movement.

Still in this second group of researchers who support the publications analyzed are two extremely important names, mainly by a more adherent identification with YAE field, Maria Clara Di Pierro and Sérgio Haddad, largely mentioned by other authors/researchers in papers analyzed. As demonstrated by the Chart 1, these authors move fluidly through a variety of themes with significant contribution for Public Policies of/for Youth and Adult Education studies, analysis, and reflections. That is the reason to affirm that they compose the group of reference-authors in this field together Paulo Freire.

The third group identifies a very wide variety of authors, detached among them Leôncio José Soares, Jane Paiva, Sonia Maria Rummert, Inês Barbosa de Oliveira, Maria Ciavatta, Marise Nogueira Ramos, and Osmar Fávero. It is important highlight that these grouping does not qualify one or other author in prioritizing sense, but it searches for categorizing these references that support the works identified in a methodological way to comply with the route for this work.

Among the categories of analysis used by the authors in their investigation about Public Policies of/for YAE, the most recurrent are literacy, education, teacher training, management, participation, programs/projects/campaigns, policies, and work. As revealed by the Chart 2, below, they are unfolded in other associated themes.

When analyzing the Chart 2, the complexity that involves the analysis of Public Policies of/for YAE is noticed out. The authors who search for apprehending the categories of investigated problem analysis in a multidimensional and or intersectional way is shown as well, and the associated themes are presented in a transversal way, what enlarges the reader comprehension on the theme in discussion by our viewpoint. The Chart 2 also shows there is a concern by authors for do not limit the analysis of Public Policies of/for YAE to a single dimensional perspective - schooling, but in a dialogical way with sociological aspects imbricated on the matter, political, ethnical-racial, generational, economic, cultural, regional/territorial aspects, among others.

Chart 2 also leads to an inference on Public Policies of/for YAE theorization referenced by the throughout life education, Popular education, Education for work and Education for workers based on the triad citizenship, work, and technology education. Furthermore, it conceives the subjects in their differences, diversities and subjectivities to enable them to develop themselves intellectually, in addition to become active agents in transformations and relations established in social environment where they are inserted in.

Some conclusion

Despite the first Public Policies of/for YAE started being implemented from the 1950s decade, it is the Federal Constitution 1988 (BRASIL, 2020) which marks the education considered as subjective public right, including for those who have no access to the school in their childhood and adolescence. In the 1990s decade, within the neoliberal policies, focused policies were priority, especially those addressed to the public from 7 to 14 years old, as an example the Fundo de Manutenção e Desenvolvimento do Ensino Fundamental e de Valorização do Magistério [Fund for the Maintenance and Development of Elementary Education and Teaching Appreciation] (FUNDEF). In the Youth and Adult Education field, this decade was marked by compensatory policies addressed to decrease in the illiteracy rate in the country, based on voluntarism and solidarity on the one hand, and understanding the YAE as a subjective and public right by social struggle for including this modality in the public financing on the other hand, as well as by the enlargement of its offer in different schooling levels and stages and several education networks and systems.

From 1990s second half there is a new configuration of the YAE public. According to studies by ^{Haddad and Di Pierro (2000}, p. 126, our translation),

The expansion challenge for enlarge the youth and adult education public is not only the population who never went to school, but it is extended to those who were at school and did not learned enough to have full participation in economic, political, and cultural life in the country, and keep learning throughout life.

Age/grade distortion is one of the main factors for YAE expansion to each time younger public. Regarding it, Di Pierro, Joia and Ribeiro (2001, p. 71, our translation) observed that “each time the mandatory minimum education is extended, and a new contingent of young people and adults has less education than every citizen is entitled to”. Here it is the search for higher levels of education.

According to ^{Di Pierro (2005}, p. 1122, our translation),

Among motivations to search for higher levels of education after childhood and adolescence, multiple knowledge needs are highlighted, linked to the access to the information and communication media, to the affirmation of unique identities in complex and multicultural societies, and to the growing qualification requirements in an increasingly competitive and exclusionary world of work as well.

This scenery described by the author is ongoing in Brazil, and the demands, including those from YAE are part of this little-known scenery. From the changes implemented by Brazilian national legislation through the Constitutional amendment nº 59/2009 (BRASIL, 2009, our translation), which asseverates universalization of “mandatory and free basic education from 4 (four) to 17 (seventeen) Years old”, as well as “ensure the maintenance and development of teaching at its various levels, stages and modalities”, certainly will bring to the reality the expansion of demands, problems and matters involving all the Brazilian public education context, together the YAE context as well.

Considering the large discussion on the public policies field in all the social dimension, there is a consensus among researchers on the need for wide discussion on the new federative pact. One of the themes in this current debate on this new pact is regarding recognizing that social policies, in this case contemplating education, health, assistance to the vulnerable, they take place within the municipalities in practice. However, contrast with this reality, the larger piece of resources collected keeps concentrated under the Federal Government management. Regarding this is possible affirm that YAE offer, by extension, is marginalized most time among Basic Education offer, and duffers the reflection from the social invisibility identified through this research as well.

Analysis of YAE education policies related to the municipality management is still infrequent theme. From the 65 papers found on the Policies of/for Young and Adult Education, only 7 approached the discussion from municipalities, most of the works do not approach the theme or deal with it in an indirect way.

In the middle of the arenas of disputes established in the context of public education backsliding and obscurantism, in YAE’s case with irreparable harm, studies on public policies demonstrated a reaffirming rights strategy. As observed by ^{Moura and Ventura (2018}, p. 348, our translation), it is possible notice out in the current social and political context that public policies and pedagogical practices addressed to education of young and adult working people “are in permanent disputes constructed daily through social, polical, economic and cultural relations, and they express different projects and conceptions of men and society”.