The Press, Graciliano Ramos, and Public Education in Alagoas under the Vargas Administration (1933–1936)

Abstract

This article analyzes public education in Alagoas during the administration of Graciliano Ramos as director between 1933 and 1936, a period in which the state was administered by two federal intervenors: Captain Francisco Affonso de Carvalho and Osman Loureiro. The political strategies adopted by them directly influenced Graciliano Ramos' actions, especially in a context of growing coordination between the local and federal spheres. Newspapers such as the Jornal de Alagoas (1933), Diário de Maceió (1934), O Semeador (1934), and Diário de Pernambuco (1933) were mobilized as part of a strategy to reach out to the popular classes and align with the ideals of the Vargas government. By addressing issues such as school meals, infrastructure, and teacher training, the study contributes to the understanding of the interfaces between public education, power, and the press in the context of Vargas' centralization, offering a critical reading of educational policies and their social implications, especially for the popular classes.