Municipal infrastructure index of rural and urban elementary education schools in the state of Ceará

Abstract

This article investigates disparities in the quality of infrastructure in municipal public elementary schools in the state of Ceará, considering both rural and urban contexts. The main objective is to analyze and classify Ceará’s municipalities based on the structural conditions of their schools. The study uses 23 variables sourced from the Basic Education Census (INEP) and SAEB, and applies factor analysis to construct the Ceará Elementary School Infrastructure Index (IEFC). Based on this index, 162 rural and 163 urban municipalities were classified. The results show that only 16% of municipalities achieved medium or high levels of school infrastructure, while 85.2% were in the low category, revealing a concerning scenario of widespread structural deficiencies. Municipalities such as Russas, Quixadá, and Apuiarés (rural), and Morrinhos, Independência, and Choró (urban) stood out with the highest scores. The main factors identified relate to school management, access to computers and the internet, the presence of adequate physical facilities, and multimedia resources. The findings highlight the need for more effective public policies and targeted investments to reduce inequalities in educational provision across Ceará.