DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN BRAZILIAN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND THE CHALLENGE OF CRITICAL INCLUSION OF STUDENTS IN YOUTH AND ADULT EDUCATION (EJA)

E O DESAFIO DA INCLUSÃO CRÍTICA DE ESTUDANTES DA EDUCAÇÃO DE JOVENS E ADULTOS (EJA)

Abstract

This study is part of an ongoing master's research in Human Rights, Citizenship, and Public Policies at the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB), which addresses the access to and appropriation of Digital Government policies, specifically the gov.br platform, by students of Youth and Adult Education (EJA). The advancement of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and the current "digital transformation" in Brazil are consolidated in the Brazilian Strategy for Digital Transformation (E-Digital), through tools such as the Gov.br portal, the Lattes Platform, e-CAC, and e-Social, which demonstrate the government's commitment to establishing a new organizational model based on e-Government. Aiming to improve state activity, Digital Government seeks to rationalize costs, increase administrative effectiveness and efficiency, enhance transparency, and, primarily, improve service delivery and user satisfaction. The central objective of this work is to conduct a critical analysis of the advancements in digital transformation within the Brazilian public sector and the limits imposed by the "digital divide," or a new axis of Coloniality (Quijano, 2000; Mignolo, 2005): Digital Coloniality. The methodology adopted is a bibliographic and critical analysis of state digitalization processes and their social consequences. Partial results indicate that, although technology promises the universalization of services, it can, paradoxically, deepen the social exclusion of vulnerable groups. Risks such as the reproduction of algorithmic biases, the opacity of automated decisions, and the lack of digital literacy turn the promise of efficiency into a selective process, where only part of the population effectively benefits from digital services. Thus, it highlights that technological inclusion must transcend the mere provision of material access and be accompanied by educational policies aimed at EJA students and the development of critical competencies, bridging the challenge of digital public administration with the fields of equity and social justice.

Digital Transformation. EJA (Youth and Adult Education). Digital Coloniality.