Bilingual Education Hub Schools for the Deaf: an analysis of different contexts in three Brazilian municipalities

Abstract

This study analyzes the organization and functioning of
three bilingual schools for the deaf located in small, medium, and large
municipalities in the state of São Paulo. Although Brazilian legislation
guarantees the right to Bilingual Education for the Deaf (EBS), with Libras as
the first language and written Portuguese as the second, the study observed
diversity in pedagogical practices, administrative structure, and available
services in these schools. The results indicate that the implementation of
EBS still faces challenges such as high turnover of teachers and interpreters,
insufficient continuing education for educators, low proficiency in Libras
among professionals and family members, and the absence of national
guidelines that consider local diversity, different needs, and the size of
municipalities. The study reinforces the importance of the National Program
for Bilingual Schools for the Deaf (PNEBS) as a guiding instrument but
highlights the need for more effective public policies and monitoring to
ensure linguistic accessibility and the quality of education for deaf students
in Brazil.