Reflexões críticas iniciais sobre escola/sala multisseriada

Abstract

This article critically analyzes the practice of multigrade education in the Brazilian educational context, with an emphasis on rural schools. The research aims to understand what multigrade organization is, how it works, and who it serves within educational institutions, reflecting on its historical, social, and pedagogical roots. Classified as a qualitative analysis of a bibliographic nature, the investigation was carried out through the study of works, scientific articles, and monographs dedicated to the theme. The work was structured based on three specific objectives: to present the concept of multigrade school and classroom; to contextualize multigrade education in the Brazilian educational scenario; and to identify its main characteristics and contradictions in the school reality. The study reveals that multi-grade education, often justified by the low number of students in certain regions, actually expresses an educational exclusion that mainly affects rural populations, villages, quilombos and peripheral areas, reflecting historical and structural inequalities. Throughout the research, it was observed that the existence of multi-grade education is not exclusively associated with demographic factors, but with the lack of public policies that effectively guarantee the right to quality education. The study concludes that it is necessary to problematize multi-grade education beyond a pedagogical organization, recognizing it as an expression of social inequalities and as an urgent challenge for the construction of a public, democratic and inclusive education.