O enredo do magistério em Imperatriz-MA: mulheres e docência entre os anos de 1960-1980

Abstract

The significant increase of women in teaching occurred from the 19th century on, with the expansion of female schooling and later with the increase in so-called Normal Schools. By the middle of the 20th century, the primary magisterium in Brazil had already undergone a process of feminization both by the number of women who attended the Normal Schools, and by the girls who exercised the magisterium. In this perspective, the present work seeks to analyze the history of primary teaching specifically in Imperatriz - MA, between the years 1960-1980, as a modality of professional training and exercise, mostly female. In other words, the intention is to reconstitute and evaluate the emergence of the first school for the exercise of teaching, the Santa Teresinha Regional Normal Course, understanding it as an exclusive training space for women. We used as data collection technique the documentary analysis and elements of oral history with interviews with former students of the aforementioned course. We made use of primary and secondary sources (handwritten and printed documents) that provide information about the process of education and schooling in Maranhão, especially in the city of Imperatriz. This study allowed us to understand the beginning of the history of female teaching, understanding this as one of the first steps for the expansion of institutions for teacher education, especially teachers in the city. Studying and analyzing the expansion of female schooling and the constitution of training processes for teachers, especially teachers, contributed significantly to studies on women's history and to the continuity of research on the history of women's education here in the region.