A (RE) LEITURA DE PRÁTICAS DE RELIGIOSIDADES NA EDUCAÇÃO INFANTIL DE VILA VELHA: UM ESTUDO DE CASO COM CRIANÇAS DE 3 A 5 ANOS NA UMEI MARIA ELISA VEREZA COUTINHO

Abstract

This study aims to reflect on religious practices in Early Childhood Education, based on a case study with children aged 3 to 5 at UMEI Maria Vereza Elisa Coutinho, in Vila Velha (ES). The research is based on the need to promote a critical, emancipatory education aligned with the principles of the State's secularism, considering the cultural and religious diversity present in the school environment. It is observed that, although Religious Education is not a mandatory curricular component in Early Childhood Education, practices with a religious nature are present in the daily life of institutions, especially through festivities such as Carnival, Easter, June festivals and Christmas. Such practices, when decontextualized, can generate conflicts and exclusions, especially when they do not consider the cultural and religious identity of children and their families. Methodologically, a qualitative, descriptive and exploratory approach is adopted, using thematic design as an instrument, which allows access to children's perception of the cultural and religious phenomena present in the school. The theoretical basis is mainly based on the conceptions of childhood based on the National Common Curricular Base and the municipal guidelines of Vila Velha-ES. The results point to the need to build pedagogical practices that value sensitive listening to children, promoting inclusion, respect for differences and the appreciation of multiple cultural and religious identities in the school environment, without violating the principles of secularism through Religious Sciences.