The Phenomenon of Learning Difficulties and the Color/Race Issue: Indicators for the Discussion about an Inclusive Education Based on Neuropsychopedagogical Evidence

Abstract

Introduction: The Brazilian school scenario in which basic education stands out, the initial and fundamental stage of the subject’s schooling, has been the object of study and debate for decades, surveys and statistical research demonstrate the abysses in the different education networks in the country, as well as the various problems in which the school and its community are involved, such as: age and grade distortion, lack of access to quality education in peripheral regions, themes about violence, racism, marginality, the devaluation of the professional of the education, school dropout rates and many others. Not unlike other education phenomena, there are the learning difficulties and socio-racial issues that drag on in the country’s history, which make up this universe of embarrassments and obstacles for a quality, egalitarian and inclusive education. Objective: Based on the comments, this study aimed to evaluate the existence of a possible association between factors related to race and learning difficulties in elementary school students in Brazil. Method: The protocols used were approved by the UFRJ ethics committee (opinion No. 517,483). The children who participated in this research participated in a meeting, with the presence of their guardians, to become aware of all the procedures, taking into account bioethical principles. After clarification and free to choose to participate or not in the research, voluntarily, each person responsible signed the Free and Informed Consent Term. Results: Our results show that 1884 students were classified as having learning difficulties, 53.98% (n = 1017) were male and 46.01% (n = 867) were female, and 2302 children without learning difficulties, 52.47% (n = 1208) of the children were male and 47.52% (n = 1094) were female. When trying to establish a direct relationship between the variables sex and school performance, it can be seen that for an r = 0.453, p r is far from “1” or “-1”, this association can be considered weak. Conclusions: We conclude that, even not being directly related to the phenomenon of difficulties, racism and exclusion of the black population, affects students of basic education too much, considering that vulnerability unfolds in so many others. Factors such as insecurity, lack of food, lack of access to quality schools, negative socio-emotional factors, which interfere in the biopsychosocial development of these students. So, as evidenced earlier, the curricular problem, in which the school was based on student failure, reproducing even more the stresses and problems of social vulnerability that sadly have color in Brazilian territory, and learning difficulties end up being associated, this points us to the urgency of forceful measures to prevent risk factors and to clearly confront this shameful and historic social stigma that afflicts most of our people and our children in the schooling phase.