SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE AND SOCIOECONOMIC INEQUALITY

THE PORTRAIT OF SÃO PAULO'S SCHOOLS

Abstract

The research discusses the deep socioeconomic disparities in schools in São Paulo, highlighting how these inequalities affect infrastructure, access to resources, and student performance. These disparities are evident both in the urban context, due to the unequal distribution of income in Brazil, and within the school environment, where students from low-income families face greater challenges. The study also addresses the precarious infrastructure in peripheral schools, the lack of educational resources, and the difficulty in retaining qualified teachers, factors that contribute to educational segregation. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is emphasized, showing how the transition to remote learning exacerbated inequalities, as many students from poor families lacked access to the necessary technology. Data collection involved discussion groups with education professionals from the State Education Network of São Paulo, and the data were analyzed and categorized with the aid of NVivo software, using Prose Analysis as the qualitative methodology, which focuses on subjective aspects and is organized into topics and themes. The main findings indicate that the pandemic period intensified the existing inequalities in the Brazilian educational system, especially in peripheral schools. The poor distribution of material and technological resources, combined with the lack of adequate support for teachers, was identified as one of the greatest challenges to the continuity of education.