Resumo:
This study aimed to analyze the quota policy in Vocational and Technological Education integrated with Secondary Education, focusing on the criteria for allocating reserved places and the difficulties faced by students who opted for the quota system during the selection process for admission to the Building Construction and Mining courses at Ifes – Nova Venécia Campus, in the period from 2019 to 2024. Based on a qualitative approach, this is a case study conducted at the aforementioned campus, involving 83 quota students regularly enrolled in the mentioned courses, in addition to interviews with three members of the Central Selection Process Committee. The analysis of empirical data was carried out using the content analysis technique, allowing the identification of thematic categories that reveal the main tensions, contradictions, and challenges experienced within the context of the quota policy. The results highlight issues that go beyond access, emphasizing structural and institutional aspects that directly affect the retention of these students within the school environment. The study identified significant progress resulting from the implementation of Law No. 12.711/2012 (Quota Law), applied by Ifes in its selection process calls since 2013, guaranteeing 50% of the places to students from public elementary and secondary schools. However, it was found that while the law has been effective in expanding access for historically excluded groups, its isolated application is not sufficient to address the challenges these students face. The main obstacles were found not during the registration process but in the stage of proving eligibility for the quota system, when candidates face difficulties in presenting the required documentation and interpreting the established criteria—challenges that are worsened by the lack of adequate institutional support. It is concluded, therefore, that affirmative actions represent a significant step toward the democratization of access to education, but their effectiveness depends on building an educational system committed to full inclusion, transparency in procedures, and the transformation of structures that perpetuate historical inequalities in Brazilian education.
