O ensino do cooperativismo no Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Maranhão Campus São Luiz - Maracanã.

Abstract

This dissertation tries to show the profile of a constant segment of the teaching model adopted by the old federal agrotechnical schools, which is the teaching of the cooperativism. We have established as our general objective: An analysis of the cooperativism teaching at Escola Agrotécnica Federal de São Luiz (Federal Agrotechnical School of São Luiz), today known as Campus São Luiz – Maracanã do Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Maranhão (Campus São Luiz – Maracanã - Federal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology of the State of Maranhão), and also the diffusion of the cooperativist doctrines or ideals in the State of Maranhão, as a way of social and economic organization of the rural communities. The model called "Escola Fazenda” (Farm School), with its motto "Learn how to do it, and Do it so you can Learn", had the Cooperative-Schools as laboratories of cooperativism practice, inspired in an widespread European model. Those were constituted of cooperativist enterprises within the school itself. The Cooperative-School of the Students of the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of the State of Maranhão, Campus São Luiz - Maracanã was where our case study took place. Although a large number of those Cooperative-Schools have been extinguished, this one is still holding together, with a small number of cooperative people, but still fulfilling its role as a services provider to the School, helping to sell the production surplus, all this executed by the cooperative students at their selling stand. The pedagogical portion of this, is nowadays separated from the practice. The teachings of the cooperative doctrine are inserted in other school subjects. Our field research showed that, although not emphasized in its original main goals, the community approves its maintenance. It also showed that it needs conjunctural structure changes in order to adapt itself to the new realities, like, the State of Maranhão is one of the country’s poorest, and the propagation of the cooperativist ideals may be one, of the many ways, of improving the life quality of the poor part of the population, which is the great majority. That only through education (something that our State is also considered one of the worst in the country) the State of Maranhão can take a step forward. The most basic objective of the Cooperative- School units is convincing people that through cooperation it’s possible to attain the inclusion of the most unattended communities. That the Cooperative-Schools, together with other cooperativism promotion agencies, can be the ones that will implement this changes in the State. Another affirmative matter is the determination of the Law n. 11.892/08, which express that Federal Institutes, created by it, should stimulate cooperativism teaching and practicing. Today, our Cooperative-School is a reality, with experience surpassing three decades of existence, it can coordinate this new actions towards the propagation of the cooperativist ideals.