Between Wood and Dust: Origins and School Culture of CEF 801 in Recanto das Emas (1999–2009)
History of Education; School culture; School architecture. Federal District; Iconography.
This research investigates the formation of school culture at Centro de Ensino Fundamental 801 (CEF 801), located in Recanto das Emas, within the context of urban expansion in the Federal District and the expansion of the public education system toward peripheral areas between the late 1980s and 1990s. The research problem seeks to understand the origins and the school culture developed at CEF 801 between 1999 and 2009, considering the social, educational, and political context of the institution’s establishment. The main objective is to analyze the school culture of the institution—its material conditions, pedagogical practices, and institutional relations—aiming to identify connections between this culture and the process of formation of the local community. The specific objectives include investigating the historical circumstances surrounding the school’s emergence during the early years of Recanto das Emas and analyzing the formation of its school culture during the “Barracão” period (1999–2009). The study is based on the hypothesis that the school culture developed at CEF 801 was deeply influenced by the socio-historical context of the local community, marked by precarious school infrastructure and limited urban development, which permeated the educational experiences recorded in the analyzed sources. It is argued that, although subject to the same curricular guidelines and organizational framework as other public schools in the Federal District, the institution developed a singular school culture, shaped by a direct dialogue between pedagogical practices and the social and spatial formation of the territory. The research is grounded in the concepts of evidential history, cultural history, school culture, and iconography and iconology. Methodologically, it analyzes photographic sources, journalistic materials, and bureaucratic documents produced by the school and the education system, allowing for the examination of pedagogical, institutional, and administrative aspects of the institution.