School Organization and the Establishment of the Ubatã-BA Gymnasium (1961-1966)

Abstract

The research analyzes the implementation process of the Ubatã Gymnasium, in Bahia, between 1961 and 1966, placing it in the context of the expansion of secondary education in Brazil and the educational transformations that occurred during the 20th century. The main objective is to investigate how the creation of the gymnasium reflected the political, cultural, and pedagogical dynamics of the time, articulating public power and popular mobilization in the consolidation of a new school culture. Hypothetically, it can be asserted that the Ubatã Gymnasium represented more than just the expansion of access to education: it was a symbolic landmark of emancipation and belonging, contributing to the appreciation of instruction and the strengthening of local identity. This study adopts a bibliographic survey in the four main Brazilian journals of History of Education and an in-depth analysis of the school collection of the Colégio Estadual de Ubatã as its procedures. The results reveal that the creation of the gymnasium was the result of joint action between the State and civil society, and that its construction consolidated Ubatã as a regional educational reference. The case of the Ubatã Gymnasium exemplifies how educational practices in the Brazilian interior were fundamental for the democratization of education and for the construction of a social consciousness committed to development.