“Education is made on the movement”: the MST literacy campaign in Alagoas, Brazil

Abstract

This article debates education in the context of class struggle, above all, with a curious look at the literacy of young people, adults and the elderly, having as reference territory and educational practice the Brigada Nacional de Alfabetização Nise da Silveira held in the state of Alagoas, Brazil, part of the National Literacy Campaign using the Cuban method Yes, I can!. As a methodology, a qualitative approach was used, based on documentary and bibliographical analysis of academic productions, reports and materials from the MST, as well as interviews and reports from teachers and students. As a theoretical reference, it is based on the conception of critical pedagogies, such as popular education, the pedagogy of the movement and the pedagogy of the oppressed. From the discussions raised, it is concluded that literacy for young people and adults is directly interrelated with the world of work, therefore, it requires a combination between a teaching method and a popular project of society. What makes the Brigada Nacional de Alfabetização Nise da Silveira in Alagoas a popular project experience.