2024 Award "Best Practice in Citizen Participation"
18th Edition
Fortaleza: 2nd Citizens' Assembly: for Full-Time Education
The project aims to expand social participation in democracy beyond elections, integrating citizen deliberation into participatory processes to solve complex issues, with a focus on community development.
The municipal administration's goal is to universalise full-time primary school education in the final years, involving students and families as partners in this policy, a goal that requires comprehensive and meaningful reflection. Full-time education goes beyond an educational measure; it is a public policy, an essential instrument that governments use to improve the quality of life of the population. Brazilian basic education covers early childhood education, primary education and secondary education, but it is the final years of primary education, from 6th to 9th grade, that have become the focus of deliberation. Within this scenario, it is important to understand the fundamental role of the final years of primary education. This stage is crucial for students' academic and personal development, preparing them for future challenges and providing a solid foundation for their continued growth.
In order to meet this challenge, the universalisation of full-time education in the final years of primary school, the contribution of the population through the formation of the CA was essential. In this way, 50 citizens were randomly selected using four complementary methods, taking into account randomisation practices and aiming for participation distributed throughout the whole of Fortaleza.
At the same time, a content group was formed, bringing together representatives of civil society, the city council, institutions, leaders and experts, with the aim of debating and revising the entire content booklet used during the training sessions. In December 2023, three sessions of the Citizens' Assembly were held, bringing together children, teenagers and their carers to debate the future of education in the municipality. After drawing up the Final Report of Resolutions, the demands were presented to the department responsible for managing the issues raised. The process concluded with an event to hand over the Letter of Recommendations to the mayor of Fortaleza. Currently, the citizens' group continues to monitor the implementation of actions by the Municipal Education Department, reaffirming its commitment to improving this policy.
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