What we do?
We operate in a rural region of great poverty and social needs. We promote education for all, through a pedagogy of love that understands that difference is richness, offering fundamental education in the early years. A school that welcomes people of all ages, of common and special education, promoting socio-educational inclusion. We collaborate in local development, generating 22 jobs. Maria Teixeira School takes seriously its mission of being a sustainable school and for all. It means to say that inclusion is considered as a founding pillar, the foundation of all other methodological facets. This is the school of love, which welcomes everyone in their needs. The physical space reveals a strategic of inclusion. The classrooms are individual, colorful houses. The school should be seen as a home, representing welcome and belonging. The distinct colors remind us that every difference is a human richness. The classes are given names of elements of nature, without hierarchy of importance or prejudiced names, such as: Crystal Class (Early Stimulation of Special Babies), Seed (Infant Education), Strawberry (1st year). Star (2nd year), Sun (3rd year), Moon (4th year), Rainbow (5th year), Cloud (Multi-serial deaf group), Flower (partial inclusion group), among others. The MT School goes beyond just "socializing". The School offers content adapted to each level of ability and integral education, aiming at perceiving in practice the behavioral changes of the student who has learned. From this, each student, regular or special will be more independent, critical and subject of their history before the social group. The essence and originality of the pedagogical work consists precisely in the fact of discovering and developing the efficiencies of each one, what each student can do. It is necessary to understand the student as an integral being with cognition, affection, expectations and socio-cultural heritage, which, despite having its weaknesses, has innumerable potentialities that must be stimulated by the adventure of knowledge and self-knowledge. Promoting inclusive education requires building bridges. Attending to "different" pupils who appear outside normal limits requires equally "different" pedagogical solutions. MT School innovates by adopting a posture by employing multiple avenues to promote learning. In addition to the common subjects, the MT School has three different disciplines: The "Brazilian Language of Signals - LIBRAS", which is taught to all students as a second language. Deaf students of the "cloud group" learn LIBRAS as their first language, and receive the other contents directly taught in LIBRAS. Another discipline is "Respect Nature", which develops in a practical way the contents regarding the preservation of the environment and care for nature. The topics covered range from the management of waste to the study of biomes and fauna, with a focus on the CLOSED biome. Finally, it has the discipline "Ethics of Love", base of all the work of the School. After all inclusion of all is a gesture of love. By working on content that reinforces desired behaviors and attitudes in society, respect for differences and solidarity are the basis of this discipline, contributing to the construction of a culture of peace. A great learning for a cooperative world is the experience that doing good does well. After all, everyone is capable of giving and receiving love.
Why we do it?
Maria Teixeira School was born out of the desire of a group of friends motivated to contribute pragmatically to the construction of a better world with the needy community in the rural area of the municipality of Luziânia, Goiás in the central-western region of Brazil, distant about 50 km from the federal capital of Brazil, Brasília. Under the aegis of modern social promotion thinking: "it is better to teach fishing than simply to give fish," it was sought to invest in the promotion of the emancipation of people through education, aiming at their autonomy as social actors and protagonists of their citizenship . MT School offers for free rural education for low income people, as previously described. In this scenario, it should be remembered that Luziânia is considered the 16th most violent place in Brazil, with few opportunities for young people at social risk, registering high rates of violence. Within the city of Luziânia, Maria Teixeira School was considered a model of inclusion and inspired the Municipal Policy of Special Education and some activities developed. It should be noted, however, that Maria Teixeira School, because it is a private, non-profit third sector organization, is intensely seeking its self-support. Throughout these 25 years, its maintenance is a challenge, through various means: a group of monthly donors called sponsors, charity bazaars and various events. There is an agreement with the Prefecture of Luziânia that makes possible the school transportation of the students and employees and part of the school lunch. The MT School implemented 3 factories: a women's handicraft workshop, a Cheese Bread Factory (in partnership with the Australian Embassy and other institutions) and a Handcrafted Candy Factory, seeking the definitive path of self-support, generating resources for promotion of socio-educational and environmental activities, as well as employment and income generation for alumni and the school community.
