O Grupo Escolar Enrique Coutinho no contexto da expansão do ensino primário no Espírito Santo nas décadas de 1930 a 1950

Abstract

The research aims to comprehend the processes of the establishment of the Henrique Coutinho School Group, located in the municipality of Iúna, in the southern region of the state of Espírito Santo, between the years 1930 and 1950, focusing on the power relations that surrounded its inception and institutionalization, within the scope of policies aimed at expanding primary education in the state. To achieve this, it relies on the following sources: documents from the institution's school archive, period press, governmental messages and reports, and photographs, which are analyzed through the Italian microhistory using the evidence paradigm approach (GINZBURG, 1989). This analysis considers various levels of observation in the quest for the connections between the local and the national contexts. In this sense, it undertakes three distinct movements, encompassing: a) an examination of the factors that influenced the institution's creation, including the political context, socioeconomic demands of the region, involvement of local agents, and educational aspirations of the period; b) the analysis of administrative aspects of the school to comprehend its organizational and financial structure and its relationships with public entities and the local community; c) the analysis of curricular matters and pedagogical practices developed within the institution, also considering the professional training of those who worked there. The research concludes that the Henrique Coutinho School Group was established within the context of the expansion of school groups in the state of Espírito Santo, in connection with the campaign for the nationalization of education in Brazil. This school was housed in a building considered imposing for the locality, albeit inadequate to meet the students needs and linked to models in circulation. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that the school's professional staff predominantly comprised female teachers normal school graduates, whose pedagogical practices were imbued with a strong civic and religious character. Lastly, it is understood that the evidence analysis and the variation in levels of observation enabled the comprehension of the historical constitution processes of this institution, elucidating the relational networks that facilitated its establishment, administrative and pedagogical organization, thus expanding knowledge about the local educational history in dialogue with broader processes.