Data for: The territorial structure of provision and educational inequality: Rethinking school choice from the Brazilian Amazon
Description
Research Hypothesis This research is based on the hypothesis that the territorial organization of public secondary education in the Brazilian Amazon, particularly in the state of Pará, produces a hierarchical spatial structure of educational provision. This hierarchy is expressed through the uneven distribution of schools, resources, and modalities across the territory, requiring different levels of spatial effort (distance, travel time, and mobility constraints) from students and their families. Thus, territory operates as an active mechanism in the production of educational inequalities. Description of the Data The dataset consists exclusively of restricted-access administrative data obtained through SEDAP-MEC. It includes detailed and georeferenced information on the students. Due to access restrictions, the original microdata cannot be shared. The dataset therefore provides processed, aggregated outputs derived from these restricted sources. Data Processing and Methodological Procedures The data were processed and interpreted using statistical software and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Procedures included data cleaning, integration, and the construction of indicators related to territorial distribution, accessibility, and differentiation of educational modalities. Spatial analysis techniques were applied to enable the spatialization of educational data, allowing for the identification of patterns of concentration, dispersion, and differentiation. These procedures made it possible to analyze the territorial structure of educational provision and its internal hierarchy. What the Data Shows and Notable Findings The data reveal a structured and uneven territorial pattern of provision. This configuration produces a hierarchical spatial organization, in which access to secondary education varies according to location. The findings indicate that this hierarchy is not incidental, but reflects systematic patterns of planning and allocation. Different modalities of provision are distributed unevenly across space, contributing to differentiated educational conditions and experiences. Interpretation and Use of the Data The dataset should be understood as an analytical representation of restricted administrative data, designed to reveal the territorial logic of educational provision. The analysis demonstrates how it is possible to examine the territorial structure of educational provision and to test the hierarchy of this structure based on indicators such as student dropout and patterns of student displacement. In this sense, the data enable the investigation of how spatial organization shapes educational trajectories, linking territorial inequalities to measurable outcomes. As the dataset consists of derived outputs, users should interpret it as a set of analytical indicators rather than raw data. Replication requires authorized access to SEDAP-MEC data and similar methodological procedures.
Files
Steps to reproduce
To access: SEDAP-MEC (restricted): request access through institutional affiliation, submit a research proposal, and sign a data use agreement. INEP (School Census): download microdata and documentation directly from the INEP website (“Microdados do Censo Escolar”). IBGE (Demographic Census): download microdata via the IBGE portal or access aggregated tables through SIDRA. For data reproduction: Variables that express the territorial structure of the education supply under analysis must be separated and then spatialized in a GIS to find a spatial pattern of inequality. Next, to test this pattern, data on student dropout and migration must be spatialized.
Institutions
- Universidade de São PauloSão Paulo, São Paulo
Categories
Funders
- National Council for Scientific and Technological DevelopmentMinistry of Science, Technology and InnovationBrasília