Resumo

LOVERA, Diego  e  VILLALBA, Gabriela. Segmentation and learning gaps in upper secondary education: evidence from Paraguay's 2018 SNEPE. Poblac.Desarro. [online]. 2026, vol.32, n.62, pp.7-29. ISSN 2076-0531.  https://doi.org/10.18004/pdfce/2076-054x/2026.032.62.007.

This research examines inequalities in academic performance in Paraguay using microdata from the National System for the Evaluation of the Educational Process (SNEPE) 2018, that was applied to students in the third year of their secondary education. The analysis uses multiple linear regression models with interactions to identify whether the socioeconomic gradient varies according to school management and incorporates a broad set of individual and institutional controls. Likewise, it applies the Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition to estimate the proportion of the gaps attributable to differences in observable endowments and that associated with differential returns. The results show a significant gap between the public and private sectors, more marked in Spanish language than in mathematics, together with a pronounced socioeconomic gradient. The analysis shows additional disadvantages for rural students, repeaters, those who work during high school, as well for those who speak a language different from Spanish at home. The interaction between socioeconomic status and school management reveals that the advantages of higher-level households are amplified in the private sector. The Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition confirms that, although part of the inequalities is explained by differences in endowments, a relevant fraction corresponds to differential returns, which reflects structural segmentation in the Paraguayan education system. This work represents a pioneering contribution to the use of microdata from the SNEPE for the econometric analysis of education in Paraguay, filling a gap in the national literature, dialoguing with international evidence and offering key inputs for the design of public policies.

Palavras-chave : Learning gaps; SNEPE 2018; socioeconomic inequality; Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition.

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