Educational gaps in Ecuadorian Basic Education: A comparative analysis by geographic area and school ownership (2015–2024)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64747/9cpr2y58Keywords:
educational gaps, urban–rural, school ownership, Ecuador, General Basic Education GBEAbstract
This study examines the evolution of educational gaps in Ecuador’s General Basic Education (GBE) between 2015 and 2024, focusing on Guayaquil (Guayas) and subnational comparisons by geographic area (urban–rural) and school ownership (public, faith‑based, municipal, private). We integrate microdata from the national assessment Ser Estudiante (SEST, 2019–2024), INEC’s household surveys ENEMDU (2015–2024), and administrative statistics from the Ministry of Education (2015–2024). The design is observational, longitudinal, and comparative, combining descriptive analysis, multilevel models, difference‑in‑differences, and Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition; we also compute segregation indices (Duncan’s D, Theil’s H) and school technical efficiency (DEA, BCC). Findings indicate: (i) a persistent urban–rural gap in performance (d≈0.25–0.35) that widened in 2020–2021 and partially narrowed in 2022–2024; (ii) ownership differentials favoring private over public schools (d≈0.30–0.45) that shrink after controlling for socioeconomic composition, student–teacher ratio, and connectivity proxies; (iii) a synchronized drop in attendance in 2020 (−3 to −5 pp), with full recovery in urban areas and incomplete recovery in rural areas; (iv) moderate school segregation positively associated with the magnitude of cantonal gaps; and (v) heterogeneous technical efficiency, with the top quartile of public schools comparable to private ones. We conclude that territory, composition, and school resources jointly shape inequality dynamics, with the pandemic acting as a temporary amplifier. Policy recommendations include effective school connectivity, high‑dosage tutoring and math catch‑up, evidence‑based school leadership, and social‑mix measures paired with quality investments, prioritizing peri‑urban neighborhoods and rural cantons along the Coast. The study delivers a replicable framework for 2025–2028 monitoring and actionable targeting criteria to reduce gaps in GBE
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Copyright (c) 2025 Marjorie Elizabeth Peñafiel Rodríguez, Shirley Roxana Vera López, Kerly Jesenia Faginson Zambrano, Sabrina Soraya Triviño Eguez (Autor/a)
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