O papel da gestão escolar na construção de indicadores de uma escolha acolhedora

Abstract

In a social context marked by accelerated transformations in forms of coexistence and by the weakening of interpersonal bonds, school welcoming emerges as a structuring dimension of the educational experience. More than a punctual action, welcoming constitutes an ethical and relational principle capable of promoting meaningful learning, fostering students’ well-being, and sustaining formative processes guided by humanization and equity. Within this perspective, this research understands the indicators of a welcoming school not as quantitative metrics or classificatory instruments, but as references constructed from democratic management practices, capable of guiding institutional pathways toward consolidating a culture of listening, belonging, and responsibility for the other. Investigating the role of school management in constructing such indicators proves fundamental for strengthening the institutional climate, enhancing school relationships, and reaffirming the public school’s commitment to the integral formation of individuals. In this direction, this dissertation sought to understand how students from the public school system of the State of Minas Gerais perceive the role of school management in building welcoming indicators, considering student perception as a legitimate source of evaluation capable of guiding decision-making processes. Effective school management is essential to re-signify the educational environment as a welcoming space, positively impacting all subjects involved. Its relevance is supported by the Brazilian Federal Constitution, the National Education Guidelines and Framework Law (LDB), and the National Education Plan (PNE), which establish democratic management as a vital element for the democratization of education. The specific objectives included: a literature review aimed at identifying studies, concepts, and practices related to welcoming, democratic management, and ethical approaches to educational relationships, grounded in frameworks that conceive education as a dialogical encounter and a space of mutual responsibility; and the analysis of students’ perceptions regarding welcoming, considering institutional routines, communication, participation, conflict mediation, and the promotion of emotional well-being. As an educational product derived from the research, the e-book Embracing Lives – Stories and Strategies for School Welcoming was developed, composed of pedagogical narratives representing different student realities and focused on strategies that promote inclusion, belonging, and the valuing of diversity within the school environment. The methodology was grounded in humanistic and ethical perspectives that sustain the centrality of relationships in education, articulating dialogue, autonomy, otherness, and care as structuring principles of educational practices. Martin Buber’s philosophy of the “I–Thou” relationship and Paulo Freire’s pedagogy of autonomy constitute essential references for understanding welcoming as a dialogical and humanizing practice in the school context. To these contributions is added Emmanuel Lévinas’ philosophy of alterity and ethics of responsibility, centered on unconditional responsibility for the other and on the recognition of irreducible singularity. Taken together, these perspectives reinforce that educational relationships are not limited to the transmission of content but constitute ethical encounters in which each subject is called to recognize, welcome, and respond to the presence of the other. Thus, public schools must assume the commitment to promote quality education that is equitable and sensitive to differences, creating conditions for each student to be valued in their singularity and prepared for the full exercise of citizenship and work, in accordance with principles of social justice and ethical responsibility. Keywords: school welcoming; educational indicators; school management; democratic management of education; alterity; autonomy; ethics.