SELMA BORGHI VENCO: Sociologist, with a master's and doctorate in education from the State University of Campinas, with a sandwich doctorate at Université Paris X, Nanterre. Associate Professor at the Faculty of Education of the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Department of Policies, Administration and Educational Systems (DEPASE); with two post-doctoral degrees in sociology of work. She was a visiting professor at the State University of Paraíba (2024) and at the Federal University of Bahia (2024). Associate researcher at the Centre de Recherches Sociologiques et Politiques de Paris (CRESPPA) and Vice-leader of the Group for Studies and Research in Educational Policy (GREPPE). She developed a comparative study between France and Brazil on the precarious conditions experienced by teachers and exacerbated by the territory in which their work is situated. Her ongoing research aims to analyze the relationships and working conditions among teachers in public basic education, now marked by contexts affected by radicalisms expressed through multiple attitudes in three countries: Brazil, France, and Germany.
MARCH THEME – Teaching Work: A historical account of the struggle for teachers, career advancement, dignified wages, and the urgent debate on mental health and prevention of occupational illnesses, the financialization of state education, and the fight for a minimum wage for teachers.
Interviewer (E). What is the title or topic of your research?
Selma (S). I am currently participating in 3 studies, two of which I coordinate:
1. The first, funded by FAPESP, is “Teaching Profession: A Profession at Risk? Distinct Radicalisms in Schools in Brazil, France, and Germany,” which aims to analyze the advances of different forms of authoritarianism in education. In Brazil, the phenomenon of civic-military schools is examined through the lens of the working conditions of basic education teachers; in France, the mandatory attendance of students in programs of the Ministry of Defense; and finally, in Germany, the persecution of teachers by their families in territories marked by the growth of neo-Nazism.
2. Funded by CNPq and also coordinated by me, it refers to the development of a precariousness index concerning the forms of hiring teachers in all states, the Federal District, and municipalities of the country, encompassing state, municipal, and federal networks. In addition to this central focus of the study, other objectives are analyzed, such as the budget allocated to education, forms of privatization of school management, and illness among education professionals; and
3. Also funded by FAPESP, it concerns "Municipal strategies for the provision of basic education in the state of São Paulo", coordinated by Professor Dr. Teise Garcia, from USP Ribeirão Preto.
E. Are you conducting individual or team research? Who is participating?
S. The research (a) is individual; (ab) is composed of professors and researchers from various universities (Unesp, UERJ, UFBA, Federal Institute, a doctoral student from FE, a teaching supervisor from the São Paulo state network and undergraduate students who carry out their Scientific Initiation studies; (ac) is coordinated by a colleague from GREPPE at USP/Ribeirão Preto and Unicamp, Unesp and UFParaná participate.
E. When did the research begin and what is the expected completion date/when was it... Finished?
S. A study was completed in 2022, which became my habilitation thesis, analyzing the forms of teacher hiring in Brazil and France organized into three levels: macro, with data from all states and the Federal District, which focused not only on the percentages of temporary contracts, but also on the commitments made in the State Education Plans regarding career plans and hiring through public examinations, and the same in France; meat, I analyzed the state of São Paulo and Île-de-France in greater depth; and finally, in micro, The precarious working conditions practiced in the state school system in the Campinas Metropolitan Region and in Créteil, France. At the micro level, I was able to interview teachers in Brazil and France, whose results indicated a higher incidence of temporary teachers in low-income areas.
The ongoing research will be finalized: the research concerning privatization strategies will be completed in 2026, and the others in 2028, although partial results will be released throughout their respective developments.
E. Is this research linked to any graduate program or research group?
S. Yes, all to the Postgraduate Program at the Faculty of Education of Unicamp.
E. What is the central objective of the investigation?
S.
1. The teaching profession: a profession at risk? Distinct radicalisms in schools in Brazil, France, and Germany.
To investigate the relationships and working conditions of teachers in public basic education between 2013 and 2026, in three countries with histories marked by the rise of diverse expressions of radicalism, namely: Brazil, France, and Germany.
In Brazil, I research militarized schools; in France, the creation of civic-military programs with mandatory participation of high school students; and in Germany, the presence of authoritarianism in schools, through the persecution of teachers by families.
2. Teaching work in basic education in Brazilian federated entities (2016-2026): a decade of precariousness?
To analyze, across a broad spectrum, the educational policy for basic education in the country during the period between 2016 and 2026. The aim is, at the macro level, to encompass all states and the Federal District; at the meso level, the municipalities; and finally, at the micro level, schools to be selected based on the results of the previous stages.
The facets of educational policy are made explicit in the specific objectives, which aim to examine the following in the federated entities:
a) the economic and budgetary dimensions related to the hiring of teachers;
b) the forms of hiring practiced by the federated entities with teachers and school and educational managers;
In the states of São Paulo and Bahia: aspects of the privatization of basic education with regard to school management, after the implementation of the high school reform; the characteristics of the high school reform, focusing on the fifth formative pathway, in particular the forms of privatization linked to it; privatizations associated with Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), with regard to the social division of labor.
3. Municipal Strategies for the Provision of Basic Education: Privatization Processes in the State of São Paulo (2008-2023)
To understand and analyze the privatization trends in Basic Education in municipal networks in São Paulo between 2008 and 2023 through the updating of Database 9 on the different forms of privatization presented in the municipalities of São Paulo, considering the technological changes for the elaboration and maintenance of the database.
Specific objectives
a) To technically update the existing database, given the technological changes and the fact that its database has migrated from one institution to another, now located at Unicamp;
b) Update and map privatization strategies in the 645 municipalities of São Paulo, based on the three dimensions described above – supply, curriculum, and school and educational management.
c) Select and build forms of interaction between users and the database, in order to enable queries with diverse criteria (population size, dimension and form of privatization, HDI, among others).
d) Analysis of privatization trends according to dimensions and in each of the forms for the selected period;
e) Incorporate into the Database the hiring methods for education professionals in the municipalities of São Paulo.
E. What methodology was used?
S. Studies 1 and 2 are qualitative research that includes bibliographic and documentary analysis, as well as interviews with education professionals; study 3 is a qualitative research in its exclusively documentary dimension based on data from the School Census.
E. When did the need to investigate this topic arise?
S. The topic of work has always been present in my academic journey. I have been studying teachers, school principals, and educational supervisors since 2010. My interest, in addition to working at a college of education, stemmed from the fact that neoliberal policies are affecting hiring practices, as states and municipalities are increasingly adopting a business-oriented logic and, consequently, devaluing the profession, which they have more recently attempted to replace with apps.
E. How does this research relate to the current challenges of education in Brazil?
S. Each has its own specific characteristics. The rise in temporary contracts and, therefore, the lack of job stability has direct consequences on the quality of education, given the high turnover of teachers who are replaced throughout the year and, often, without training in the subject they teach, or even with training in areas that do not encompass a teaching degree;
In my view, collective work is fundamental to improving the quality of education.
The militarization of schools is a more recent theme in Brazilian education and demonstrates an adherence rooted in the military regime and far removed from all the accumulated knowledge regarding educational sciences built not only in Brazil. This societal project perpetuates the idea that military discipline will solve historical educational problems. I have observed that states and municipalities select schools that already show better results in the IDEB (Basic Education Development Index) to showcase the program. Furthermore, they conduct a "selection" of students with the best performance and teachers most aligned with militarism, both guided by forms of pressure and even moral harassment aimed at removing students from the school.
E. Which authors or theories were most influential in shaping your work?
S. Marxist theory guides my analyses. The sociologies of work and education underpin my ongoing research.
E. What have been the main findings so far?
S. There are many: data from the School Census indicates that in Brazil, in 2025, an average of 51% of teachers were linked to state networks and the Federal District. This figure is alarming in itself, but it becomes even more serious when we observe the state of Acre with 84%, Espírito Santo 76%, Mato Grosso do Sul 73%, Santa Catarina and Mato Grosso 71%, Ceará 59%, Minas Gerais and the Federal District, both with 58%.
In other words, these are states where public education is essentially in the hands of teachers without certified qualifications obtained through competitive examinations, and who work on fixed-term contracts. This is not about criticizing these teachers who, in fact, ensure the delivery of education, but rather about highlighting the inconsistency, the frequent lack of suitability of the teacher to the subject taught, not to mention the impossibility of carrying out collaborative work in the school.
In the field of militarization, there is evidence of the "makeover" of schools being carried out by governors and mayors, as well as marketing aimed at families who are confusing security around the school with the presence of military practices inside the schools, expressed in the use of uniforms, military marches, and other aspects. Regarding working conditions, there is an attack on academic freedom, orchestrated by families and supported by school management, as observed in the municipality of Ilhabela, culminating in the dismissal of teachers not aligned with the Program, with explicit scenes of moral harassment.
In France, the birthplace of liberty, equality, and fraternity, questions arise as to why the Ministry of Defense is making it mandatory for high school students to attend classes, lectures, and military activities, in a context of imminent wars around the world.
E. Has the research already resulted in any publications or presentations at events? If so, where?
S. Yes, in several countries, actually.
E. What are the next steps after completion? Are there any planned developments?
SIn addition to presenting the findings at scientific events, I also seek to discuss the results with trade unions.
SPEAKING OF RESEARCH!
Topic: Teaching work
Interview conducted on: 19/03/2026
Posted in: 13/04/2026
Researcher Interviewed: Selma Borghi Venco
Interviewer: Julia Santiago Carrion
Screenplay: Erika Blaudt and Lucas Ferreira
Executive production: Lucas Ferreira, Cláudia Reis and Julia Santiago Carrion
Direction: Nora Rut Krawczyk
Presented by: CPDC – FE – Unicamp