Distance Learning as a Public Policy

A public policy is a set of actions whose main objective is to solve or minimise a collective problem. It can be developed by both the government and private spheres. Thus, the construction of a public policy reflects the conflicts of interest and the arrangements made within the spheres of power that permeate the institutions of the state and society as a whole and, with regard to educational policies, this logic has been no different. Among the fields of public policy, education stands out as an elementary instrument for empowering citizens. This study is dedicated to analysing the public policy of distance learning, with a focus on the implementation of the Public Administration and Portuguese Language courses developed by the Centre for Distance Education at the Federal University of Lavras in partnership with the Open University of Brazil, with the aim of understanding the implementation process according to the perception of different actors belonging to the University staff, who are involved in the implementation of the courses, and the coordinators of the face-to-face support centres in the municipalities where they are offered.