Despoblación escolar en zonas rurales del Ecuador: Análisis de la disminución de la matrícula escolar en la provincia de Manabí durante el periodo 2011-2023

Abstract

Abstract: This research analyzes school depopulation in rural areas of the Manabí province during the period 2011 2023, focusing on its causes, manifestations, and educational and territorial consequences. The study adopts a quantitative, descriptive, and explanatory approach, based on official data from the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC) and the Ministry of Education. It examines demographic transformations, declining birth rates, rural-to-urban migration, and centralized educational policies that have contributed to the reduction of enrollment and the closure of rural schools. The findings reveal a sustained decrease in rural student enrollment, accompanied by institutional contraction and territorial inequality. These dynamics demonstrate that school depopulation is not merely a demographic trend but a structural expression of social inequality and educational exclusion. The study concludes that ensuring the continuity and revitalization of rural education requires differentiated public policies, equitable territorial investment, and community participation to strengthen schools as centers of development, identity, and social cohesion in Ecuador s rural territories.