Venezuelan Migrant Children in Brazil: A Look at Childhood and the Right to Education

Abstract

This article discusses Venezuelan migrant children in Brazil and their right to education, with the specific objectives of debating childhood studies, investigating the migration of Venezuelan children to Brazil, and analyzing the right to education of Venezuelan migrant children in Brazil. A qualitative, explanatory, and descriptive approach was used. The final considerations indicate that: (1) childhood is plural, varying according to the historical and social context of the time, and is currently conceived as worthy of protection and care;  (2) migrant children are immersed in many vulnerabilities, exposed to violence, rights violations, prejudice, and xenophobia, requiring public managers to ensure proper attention and reception for these individuals; and (3) the right to education for migrant children is provided for by legislation such as the Federal Constitution of 1988, the 1996 Law of Guidelines and Bases for Education, and regulations from the Ministry of Education, and the State must guarantee the inclusion and integration of students in schools through an education that respects differences and linguistic and cultural diversity through intercultural education, in line with human rights. Despite this, many migrant children face difficulties such as a lack of knowledge of Portuguese and the unpreparedness of teachers and schools to receive them, which affects their learning and their ability to remain in school.