Professional Education: challenges for the construction of a project for those who work for a living

Abstract

This article, considering the integration of Science, Technology and Society, proposes to contribute to the debate
about organization and management strategies for professional education. Considering Brazilian Law 9394 of 1996,
it affirms that professional education is to be developed through intentional and systematized actions upon a solid base
of general, scientific-technological and social-historic education. By concept and by norm professional education and is

an integral and inseparable part of National Education. It stems from this affirmation that the organization and strategic management of professional education can not be conducted in parallel or externally. This is in counter to the proposal for the creation of an law that would confer an autonomy toprofessional education in relation to the National Educational System, through a specific organization and regulatorystandards. The article defends the integration of policies, programs and institutions that preserve the specificitiesof the different levels and a collective construction strategy. It calls for the creation of a specific fund for financingand public management, in which the government assumes the role of coordinator and supervisor in the articulation of efforts of government, business and workers. It understandsprofessional education to be integrated to elementary education, to be a universal
right and a responsibility of the State.