Law of Quotas and inequalities of class, race and sex: the student retention policy in the technical and vocational education and training of the Instituto Federal Fluminense

Abstract

Based on Gramscian concept of Integral State and the theory of social justice by Nancy Fraser (2001), using intersectionality as an analytical tool, the retention and success policy in technical and vocational education and training at the Instituto Federal Fluminense (IFF) was investigated, and how it addresses the inequalities of class, race and gender. The documents analyzed recognize that there is inequality of opportunity in access to education and that quotas with criteria defined by Law 12.711/2012 (BRASIL, 2012a) are necessary for the democratization of education. It is observed a contradiction between the recognition of inequalities in opportunities of access, present in the three documents analyzed, but the non-recognition of them in retention, with the absence of actions and indicators that allow the diagnosis of inequalities in dropout, permanence and completion of the course among student groups with cuts of race, class and gender, also between quota holders and non-quota holders. It highlights the different ideologies in dispute for hegemony within the scope of civil society in which IFF community and its institutional policies are inserted. Measures are suggested to improve the planning, execution and evaluation of IFF's student retention policies with focus on social justice.