PROTAGONISTS FOR THE WORLD: EDUCATION INDUSTRY AND ELITE ASPIRATIONS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION

ABSTRACT

This article analyzes education industry’s readjustments related to the elite students’ aspirations concerning the access to Higher Education in the context of expanding this level of education. This study used data collected in an exploratory investigation on eleven private schools attended by elite students in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, and a case study in one of those schools. Results have shown that schools are adapting their pedagogical proposals to highlight internationalization, and promote students’ protagonism for the world, emphasizing distinction elements of the elites in social space. The case study identified changes in students’ aspirations and refinement of their strategies for admission into Higher Education, besides increasing interest in elite private institutions.

Keywords
Elite schooling.; Educational stratification; Educational aspirations; Education industry