Special classes in Brazil

between the inclusive perspective and school segregation

Abstract

Inclusive education aims to promote the schooling of all students in regular classrooms with greater equity, with a particular focus on those who are part of the special education population — students with disabilities, those with autism spectrum disorder, and those with high abilities or giftedness — in accordance with the guidelines of the Brazilian educational system, especially those defined in the National Policy on Special Education from the Perspective of Inclusive Education. However, the continued existence of special classes highlights a disconnect between current inclusion policies and their implementation in schools. This study aims to investigate aspects highlighted by research in the Brazilian context regarding the persistence of special classes, promoting a critical reflection on current educational legislation and its implications for the realization of the right to education for all. To this end, a qualitative bibliographic research approach was adopted, based on a corpus comprising 14 dissertations and theses published in the repositories of the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD) and the CAPES Thesis and Dissertation Catalog. The results indicate that, although they offer a differentiated pedagogical environment for certain student profiles, special classes also reinforce segregation, hindering the realization of school inclusion beyond these spaces. It is concluded that overcoming the dilemma of maintaining special classes during a period of growing emphasis on an inclusive perspective requires more consistent discussions regarding the curriculum, as well as investments in teacher training and school infrastructure, thereby fostering an increasingly inclusive and accessible education for more students.