The career of teachers in Paraná and deprofessionalization strategies: the “undergraduate teacher” case

Abstract

This article is part of a research project investigating the impact of neoliberal guidelines on education policies. It focuses on temporary positions in the Paraná state school system under the streamlined selection process (PSS) notices. The authors identified a segment that had not yet been studied: the group of “undergraduate teachers” composed of students who have not yet completed a teaching degree. This is a significant subgroup with its own characteristics within the set of temporary teachers hired through the PSS to work in Basic Education. The research is a case study, based on document analysis, using as sources the PSS/PR public selection notices from 2008 to 2025, as well as information relevant to the State Secretariat of Education available on the Transparency Portal of the state of Paraná. The researchers compared the sources chronologically, identifying the periods of increased hiring within the subgroup. Subsequently, they performed an analytical study to examine the consolidation process of this subcategory and its potential implications for the education provided by the state public school system. The study found that the hiring of these teachers by the state school system tends to have various consequences: devaluation of education professionals, given the entry of workers who are not yet qualified; changes in career structure, contributing to the fragmentation of the teaching staff due to varying contractual conditions and salaries; intensified unequal competition among those seeking teaching positions; and flexibility in training requirements, which may be detrimental to students.