Relationships between companies and schools within environmental education: a case study on water and sewage pedagogy

This research contributes to those seeking to better understand the relationship between companies and schools in relation to socio-environmental issues. The aim was to identify and analyze the views of school-based education professionals and other professionals from public administration and program management involved in the Pró-Mananciais program, funded by the mixed-capital Minas Gerais Sanitation Company (Copasa), regarding educational initiatives addressing socio-environmental issues related to water and sewage. In addition to interviews with these participants, we also observed community meetings involving residents, educators, public agencies, and university representatives. We adopted content analysis, specifically thematic analysis, as the methodological procedure for data systematization and interpretation. We identified the reproduction of corporate narratives within the school, aimed at legitimizing the company’s involvement in the community, promoting pro-environmental narratives grounded in individualism and behavioral change, and reinforcing the company’s authority through its technical expertise. At the same time, these initiatives may be associated with the obstruction of educational practices aimed at fostering critical questioning of socio-environmental injustices in order to promote collective participation in decision-making processes in defense of fundamental rights. Therefore, it is essential that educational legislation and the curricula of both basic education schools and teacher education programs address and regulate corporate involvement.