Rural education teacher training: Remote learning challenges in Brazilian IFES during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted historical inequalities, in multiple dimensions, in Brazil, since it has exposed the vulnerability experienced by rural populations with regards to their fundamental rights. In light of the remote learning institutionalization in federal higher education institutions (IFES, acronym in Portuguese), the aims of the current national scope research are to analyze the institutionalization of major degrees in rural education at IFES, by taking into consideration the COVID-19 pandemic-associated vulnerability levels Indigenous and Quilombola populations are exposed to, as well as to identify the digital inclusion policies that have been implemented during the emergency academic calendar. The research adopted quantitative and qualitative approaches to explore the databases of the Ministry of Education (MEC); Social and Environmental Institute (ISA - Instituto Socioambiental), as well as institutional websites of universities and federal institutes. Striking results indicate the expansion of major degrees in rural education in the last decade in all regions countrywide, as well as the fragility of these courses in IFES agendas about specific assertive policies aimed at meeting educational demands of remote learning.