Perceptions of the Educational Community on the Democratization of the School in Angola: A Case Study

Abstract

This article, which is based on a master’s thesis (Kibuco, 2023), analyses the perceptions of the educational community (management, teachers, students, parents and guardians) about democratic schools, understood as an organizational model that promotes the effective participation of different actors in decision-making processes and ensures conditions for pedagogical, administrative and organizational autonomy. The research, based on a case study conducted in a public lower secondary school in Sumbe, Angola, used semi-structured interviews and questionnaire surveys, involving 21 students, 35 teachers, 3 members of the school management and 1 representative of parents. The results show that the centralization of the education system, the limited autonomy of schools, the culture of vertical management and the reduced involvement of families constitute structural barriers to the implementation of the principles of democracy and participation. There are also weaknesses in the conceptual appropriation of the “democratic school” and essentially formal and sporadic participation practices. Although Angolan legislation enshrines the principle of democracy, there is a significant gap between the regulatory framework and school practices, which reinforces the need to understand educational policy as a process from the production of regulations to their interpretation and implementation in the context of practice. The study concludes that structural and cultural challenges to the consolidation of a more democratic school system in Angola remain.