Educational equity and social vulnerability in the territories: cases of Ceará State municipal networks in Fortaleza

Abstract

Abstract The present article is an analysis about the association between educational equity in municipal public primary schools, herein called PS, in Ceará State and in Fortaleza City (more than 70% of school enrollments), and social vulnerability in their territories, between 2011 and 2017. The Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) by Instituto de Pesquisa Econômica Aplicada (IPEA) [Applied Economics Research institute] was used in the study and schools were georeferenced. The concept of equity based on the poverty index model proposed by Foster, Greer and Thorbecke ( 1984) was operationalized in light of Crahay ( 2000) and Ribeiro ( 2014). Social markers, such as race/skin color, gender and economic class, were defined according to ‘Critério Brasil’ [Brazil Criterion]. All of them took into account students’ answers in questionnaires associated with ‘Prova Brasil’ [Brazil Test], and it allowed widening the sight over equity. It was possible concluding that equity was broadened in Ceará State, and that it has benefited social vulnerability zones in the territories, in a more remarkable way than in the Northeastern region and in Brazil. This trend also benefited traditionally disfavored social groups when social, gender and race/skin color markers were taken into account. Fortaleza shows signs of improved equity in high and low social vulnerability territories in comparison to the other Northeastern capitals.