Análisis de los niveles de pobreza y su influencia en la deserción escolar en la educación básica y bachillerato en la parroquia de Calacalí en el periodo 2015-2023

Abstract

This study examines the influence of poverty levels on school dropout in basic education and high school in the rural parish of Calacalí during the period 2015–2023, from a social economy and human capital approach. A quantitative, non-experimental correlational design is applied using secondary data from ENEMDU, the Master Archive of Educational Institutions (AMIE), and official statistics from INEC. The findings indicate that income poverty, labor informality, and household economic instability significantly affect school retention, particularly at the high school level, where the opportunity cost of education is higher. Households in the lowest income quintiles show a greater risk of school dropout, a trend that intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study concludes that school dropout in Calacalí is driven by structural economic constraints that limit investment in human capital, reinforcing intergenerational poverty cycles. These results provide useful evidence for the formulation of public policies aimed at poverty reduction and educational retention in rural areas.