Escola pública e professor como adulto de referência: indispensáveis em qualquer projeto de nação

Abstract

The paper discusses the nature and tasks of public space in Brazil, taking as an example the pedagogical function of the public school. The school is approached in a dual function: as local traditional knowledge acquisition, and as an important place of sociability. It is the place of sociability of public space and republican ideals, which is not the same sociability experienced in the family. The teacher is also analyzed in a dual role. The teacher is a person who has expertise in an area of knowledge, and the teacher acts as an adult reference. The teacher is a public server that operates the public education policy, not to be confused with family education. The school experience is directly related to the public authority. And the public teacher is a state function. These characteristics have been remarkably neglected in many discussions, which undermine the public nature of education and the important role it can play in building a country with democratic density and scientific expertise. Keywords: public school, teacher, public space.