SCHOOL EXCLUSION or SOCIAL EXCLUSION SYNDROME?

Abstract

 For millions of people descended from slaves in Brazil, school exclusion is only one stage in the general process of exclusion that they have been submitted to for centuries, and drawing attention to this phenomenon is one of the aims of this article. These people, living in the interior or, especially, in the pockets of poverty that surround the large cities, are exposed to multiple risk factors starting during pregnancy, and persisting into the breast-feeding stage and  the pre-school period. When they start their first year at primary school, they have already been affected biopsychologically. To make matters worse, during the years of adolescence and the young adult phase, the process of exclusion is still present, exposing them to different negative factors. These, together with the subjective damage, which is self-excluding, make their social inclusion difficult, as it becomes impossible for them to stay at school, learning, and later on, achieve professional fulfilment. It can be seen then that school exclusion, for this group, is only one factor of a more extensive phenomenon called “The Social Exclusion Syndrome” from which they have been suffering for centuries. The solution depends on simultaneous action within and beyond the school walls; interdisciplinary, intersectorial action based on the community. This must start during pregnancy and be maintained throughout the entire life cycle.

Keywords: social exclusion, risk factors, school exclusion, syndrome