O educador surdo na educação bilíngue: uma análise comparada de políticas educacionais do Brasil e da Espanha/Catalunha

Abstract

In recent decades, Brazil and Catalonia—an autonomous community in Spain—have developed educational policies concerning the recognition of sign languages and the schooling of deaf students. In this context, this research aims to provide a comparative analysis of how selected legal and normative documents from Brazil and Catalonia (Spain) address bilingual education for the deaf, as well as the role assigned to deaf educators within this process. This is a qualitative study, grounded in the field of comparative education and conducted through a document analysis of official legislation and regulations pertaining to the education of the deaf in the contexts under investigation. The analysis examines aspects related to the recognition of sign languages, the organization of bilingual education, professional training, and the inclusion of deaf educators in educational policies. The study is based on historical-cultural theory—drawing, in particular, on the contributions of Vygotsky—which views language and social interactions as essential elements for human development and the construction of knowledge. Through the analysis of the selected documents, the research sought to identify similarities, differences, and gaps between the contexts studied, while accounting for their respective historical, political, and educational specificities. The findings indicate that the recognition of sign languages and bilingual education is not necessarily accompanied by an explicit definition of the deaf educator as a primary pedagogical, linguistic, and cultural reference point in the schooling of deaf students. In the Brazilian context—notably following the enactment of Law No. 14.191/2021— There is a more robust normative consolidation of bilingual education for the deaf, which includes the recognition of Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) as a first language and written Portuguese as a second language. In Catalonia, the documents analyzed reveal the presence of sign language within educational policies aimed at the schooling and inclusion of deaf students; however, there is no corresponding, explicit definition of the deaf educator as a specific professional role within bilingual education. A comparative analysis thus highlights both similarities and differences across the contexts investigated, as well as persistent gaps regarding the definition of the responsibilities, training, and role of the deaf educator within educational policies.