A economia política da educação: determinantes do desempenho discente na rede pública municipal de João Pessoa

Abstract

In the context of the decentralization of Brazilian federalism, which has developed a cooperative profile since the 1988 Constitution, the role of managerial capacity and the ideology of subnational governments has become increasingly relevant. Thus, the capacity of municipalities to efficiently provide public goods and to direct political decisions toward effective public policies is of particular importance. In this regard, the present study aimed to assess the magnitude of the effect of managerial capacity and ideology on student performance. The dataset includes all municipal schools in João Pessoa that were considered comparable. Using panel data, the sample consists of 396 observations from 66 schools. The unit of analysis comprises urban public elementary schools in João Pessoa, with a temporal scope spanning from 2009 to 2019. Descriptive statistical analysis of the data indicates that the education system in the capital of Paraíba operates within a context of critical outcomes. To estimate the effect size, a random-effects statistical model was employed. The findings reveal no significant effects of managerial capacity on student performance. However, the results indicate that having a right-wing government in power, compared to a left-wing government, leads to an increase in student performance in municipal elementary schools in João Pessoa. The same effect is observed when the government completes its third year in office and when the school infrastructure includes a computer lab.