Closure of Youth and Adult Education in São Paulo and its Interfaces with the Integral Education Program

Abstract

The article investigates the decline in Youth and Adult Education (EJA) enrollments in the state education system of São Paulo (Brazil) between 2020 and 2023, highlighting the impact of the expansion of the Integral Education Program (PEI) on this reduction. The research analyzes official data provided by the São Paulo state government and reveals that, although the state shows significant potential demand – with 11.75 million adults lacking complete basic education –, EJA provision has been systematically reduced. Between 2020 and 2023, EJA enrollments fell by 61.9%, and night school enrollments declined by 8.7% in the state network. Furthermore, the semi-presential modality offered by the State Centers for Youth and Adult Education (CEEJAs) also experienced a 35.3% decrease, ruling out the hypothesis of a shift from in-person to semi-presential enrollments. The study argues that the accelerated expansion of PEI in recent years has significantly contributed to the observed dismantling of EJA. Schools incorporated into PEI from 2020 onward lost 84.5% of their EJA enrollments and 50.9% of night school enrollments. The recent announcement of a new distance education model for EJA in São Paulo, set to begin in 2025, underscores the need to improve official databases in order to avoid monitoring gaps, enable adequate public oversight, and prioritize this educational modality as a strategic element in addressing Brazil’s persistent educational inequalities.