Avaliação do programa de educação financeira nas escolas: estudo de caso na EEM São José em Fortaleza - CE

Abstract

In the early 2000s, a strong correlation between poverty and financial exclusion was identified, highlighting the international debate on economic development. In 2003, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) launched an international Financial Education program, promoting the importance of financial education for social inclusion. In Brazil, to address this issue, the Federal Government launched the National Strategy for Financial Education (ENEF) in 2010, a public policy aimed at promoting financial and pension education, contributing to the strengthening of citizenship, the efficiency and solidity of the national financial system, and supporting informed consumer decision-making. ENEF's proposal targets two audience segments: children and youth, primarily through the School Financial Education Program, which is implemented in primary and secondary schools. The second target group consists of adults, focusing on women who benefit from the Bolsa Família Program and retirees with an income of up to two minimum wages. Despite the direct rhetoric from financial education advocates, who express concern for society's well-being by raising its understanding of the principles and risks related to financial products to promote informed decision-making, several authors argue that there are underlying motivations in promoting financial education that are linked to “capital” interests. This study aims to evaluate the School Financial Education Program, considering these contradictions and seeking to understand the perspectives of the stakeholders involved in the policy, in order to reveal different views on the same phenomenon. The evaluation, using a qualitative approach, was conducted according to the in-depth evaluation proposal developed by Rodrigues (2008), aiming for a more comprehensive evaluation to understand the policy from various aspects, from its formation to the perceptions of the stakeholders involved. To this end, SEDUC-CE made available a list of schools that offered the financial education subject in the 2nd semester of 2023. After contacting the schools, it was identified that the only one offering it in the 1st semester of 2024 was EEM São José in Fortaleza-CE. In view of this, a case study was carried out, using questionnaires and interviews with students, teachers, director and pedagogical coordinator, to capture the understandings of the subjects who experience the policy, and check whether, in situ, it occurs as proposed. The results showed that although Financial Education is recognized as relevant by students, teachers and managers, its implementation in schools faces significant challenges, highlighting weaknesses in the Program. The current approach, which is limited to elective classes, despite what the BNCC suggests, results in restricted access, lack of student engagement and low workload for the subject. Furthermore, there was a lack of updated teaching material, insufficient teacher training and the absence of a structured curriculum, compromising the effectiveness of teaching.