Restricted acces to Brazilian higher public education: an expression of the social issue

Abstract

The historical path of public higher education is marked by social, economic, racial, cultural and gender inequalities, among others, charred by the historical process of social, cultural and eco- nomic development in Brazil. Based on this understanding, through literature review and from the perspective of critical social theory, we aim to problematize the restricted access of the working class to public higher education as an expression of the social issue, as we understand that such access fosters claims in the public sphere by pressing the State to adopt measures that enable access to socially produced kno- wledge, as well as to acquire training to enter the world of work. The- refore, we address the relationship between the educational issue and the social issue, and point to the importance of expanding and demo- cratizing access to higher education without ignoring the difficulties of permanence of students in a situation of socioeconomic vulnerability with a clear cut of class and race.