Level of information and knowledge on higher education inclusion policies: the case of students of social layers distinct from the city of Limeira-SP

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to identify whether information on policies for inclusion in higher education is effectively reaching those who constitute its target audience, it means young people who are completing basic education in public schools and / or who are part of ethnic groups minority races. Thus, starting from this question, we present in this paper information about the level of information and knowledge of third year high school students from a public and a private school in the municipality of Limeira-SP about affirmative action policies. The data, obtained through questions included in a socioeconomic questionnaire answered by ninety-three students (forty-eight in public school, forty-five in private school) and semi-structured interviews with five of these students (three in public school , two in private school), show that students of private school, although not in the horizon of contemplation of such policies, have a higher level of information about them, while among students of public school, which are included in the group of potential beneficiaries, the level of ignorance and misinformation is quite high. From this perspective, it is striking that only one public school student reported knowing and explaining the functioning of affirmative action policies. These findings denote the importance and urgency of developing more effective strategies for the dissemination and explanation of such policies to these students, who make up precisely their target audience.