LIFE EXPERIENCES AND SCHOOL FAILURES:

NARRATIVES OF YOUNG UKEME

Abstract

This article presents some of the results of a master's thesis that analyzed the schooling history of adolescents between 15 and 17 years old with a history of school failure, who entered 9th grade in a state public school in the city of Ribeirão das Neves in Minas Gerais. The research universe consisted of 15 (fifteen) adolescents who answered a socioeconomic, cultural, and schooling questionnaire, and 3 (three) of them offered us their narratives through the methodological tool of the narrative-dialogical interview. The narratives obtained during the study were analyzed and revealed a certain incongruence between the potential of these adolescents and their academic failures. They also revealed a profile of social class and race in which living conditions, housing, and access to various basic health and nutrition services are compromised, as is their right to education, which goes far beyond access to school. It is also clear from the young people's narratives that schools must open up to dialog with these students and be attuned to their demands and potential. In this article, we focus on the methodological pathways that led us to the rich narratives of young Ukeme Taiyo, with his experiences and insights about himself, his friends, and his family, which contrast with his concerns and perceptions about school.