EVEN UNDERPRIVILEGED GIRLS HAVE VOICESAND TALK ABOUTTHESCHOOL

Abstract

The present study originated from contradictions noticed between . underpriveleged girls and the elementary school. These contradictions are related to the awareness of the importance which the school and its absence at the end of the elementary school. Not only the girls were contradicting in their reports but also their families and the researchers. Taking the problem into consideration and our interest in studying it deeply, we intended to reflect about these girls' absentism from school bearing in mind their social, economic, cultural, educational and political context. We gave the oportunity to speak to girls who had never been listened to and they talked about their lives, their schools, about the school of their dreams. From these representations and a/so the representations from other people who took part in their lives we obtained the data which allowed an analysis of the problem in question. The data we obtained also revealed aspects of an underpriveleged fite and of a discontinuous educational fite fuil of failures and resistence. The understanding of the social and educational uni verse where the underprivileged girl lives and survives may provide alternative pedagogical practices which will contribute to the presence of these girls in school even if in the limits of our historical moment.