Abstract:

Today, many children and youths arrive at school with socialization deficits that are reflected in their indiscipline, irresponsibility, non-recognition of social rules and authority, absence of the most basic moral judgments, and a marked absence of curiosity for knowledge. We are facing a decline in the exercise of parental functions that threatens the subjective (identity) constitution of the new generations, causing them to arrive at school without the acquisition of personal and social skills that would allow them to adopt socially competent behavior and learn. In turn, the school becomes more and more the scene of failures and poor training because it is not prepared for functions other than instructing, and the educational agents, most of the time, are not able to deal with these other responsibilities that are being delegated to them.
Between 2020-2022 we conducted a research project in 8 schools in the municipality of Vila Nova de Gaia, in which, among other objectives, we sought to know the representations of school principals about the Ubuntu Schools Program - a Program whose purpose was to promote social-emotional skills in students between 14 and 18 years of age from different educational cycles. In this communication, we propose to present the results we have reached in this respect and to reflect on the transforming potential of this Program:
(I) in the formation of youngsters in socially competent behavior and in the promotion of their desire to learn;
(II) in the reconceptualization of the educational function itself;
(III) in the school community.

Keywords:

Social-emotional skills, UBUNTU, Informal education.