Conteúdo sobre o envelhecimento no ensino fundamental

Abstract

The Brazilian population is aging rapidly, with projections indicating that by 2060, 25.5% of the population will be made up of the elderly, totaling 58.2 million people. In view of this scenario, there are more and more studies covering various areas related to aging, such as health, safety, social and education. To ensure rights and effective public policies, older people have the support of Rights Councils, such as the Municipal Council for the Elderly (CMI) in São Carlos, in the interior of São Paulo, which works with government and civil society representation in various spheres of their experience. At the III Municipal Conference on the Elderly, the introduction of concepts about aging in the formal curriculum of Elementary School was approved in order to prepare students for a long life. This project aimed to verify content and conceptions about aging in public elementary schools in São Carlos. It is a descriptive, exploratory study based on qualitative-quantitative research and is integrated with a research with the CMI. An online semi-structured questionnaire was applied, after adopting ethical principles in research. The analysis was based on thematic content. A positive view of education professionals was identified about the presence of content on aging within schools, with actions based on respect and comprehensive themes related to the elderly. However, there are gaps in the understanding of aging as a content and its possible development, even with indications of various tools that center the student in the teaching-learning process. The importance of building structured content for direct development with students is highlighted. Complementary training in school management, coordination and teaching is necessary, so that the theme can be deepened in the school context, with the objective of bringing students closer to the knowledge necessary for a healthy old age, protection of the rights of older people and awareness of their own aging process.