Brazilian agricultural schools principals: demographic characteristics and perceptions on agriculture and the rural milieu

The purpose of the study was to describe the demographic characteristics of Brazilian agricultural schools principals and their perceptions about agriculture and the rural milieu. A survey was mailed to all schools and the data analyzed through measures of frequency, central tendency, and dispersion. The findings indicated that the majority of agricultural schools principals are male, between 37 and 51 years-old, and have high academic background as well as teaching experience. They perceive agriculture beyond its productive aspects and recognize the rural milieu as plural, with the emergence of both agricultural-related and non-agricultural activities. The liberalization of the concept of agricultural education and the establishment of graduate courses in the field is recommended. The author also suggests studies to evaluate the impact of the principals perceptions in teachers and students.