Democratic school management and child participation through the Child Council’ representation

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the possibilities and limits of the child Council (CM) as an instrument for the implementation of democratic school management in municipal schools in Santo André. We opted for the qualitative research approach and two data collection techniques were used that complement each other: the interview with ten deputy school principals and the culture circle developed with five representatives of the CM. To support the researchers, a semi-structured script was used in both phases. After data collection, the testimonies of the participants were coded, categorized and interpreted from the perspective of the fundamental theory of John W. Creswell. The results of the research show that the CM is an influential channel of democratic practices that, if consolidated between schools and managers, can be an instrument for the implementation of democratic school management. Likewise, it is essential to consider that the uniqueness of childhood requires competence from mediators.