School psychology in public schools: challenges for the psychologists' training

Abstract

This work aimed to reflect on the psychologists’ training in the educational area. In order to do this, a report of a field experience that took place in a municipal school in Fortaleza city was analyzed. This practicum experience was developed at the Applied Psychology Service by the Laboratory for the Study of Subjectivity and Mental Health, both from State University of Ceará and supported by CNPq. In the first part of this paper was presented a brief background about public schools in Brazil and Ceará state, as well as conceptual approximation between Psychology and Education areas. Then, the field experience was reported and the analysis and discussion about the psychologists’ inclusion in schools were made. Results indicate that the psychologists’ practices in public schools are different from the practices at the private schools. In public institutions the psychologists’ work emerge as a possible listening space for the teachers about their reflections on life and work. The social political and ideological issues also show up as instruments for attaining greater mobilization in school environment, helping them to comprehend the education as a mediatized praxis of social transformation and the comprehension of their role as historical subjects. Thus, the article contributed to the debate about the need of school psychologists’ increase in the context of Brazilian public school.