RURAL SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION: LIMITS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR POPULATION RETENTION

Abstract

In the context of the severe depopulation of rural areas and the continuing lack of investment in public services in regions of low population density, the present text addresses the impact of school transportation as a means of guaranteeing not only access to education, but also the permanence of rural families and the attraction of young people. Using registry and survey data, on the one hand, and interviews with key informants and the rural population, on the other, we look at accessibility, analyzing infrastructure, student mobility and the household and community strategies that support it. The results suggest different types of public policy to guarantee school accessibility in rural settlements.