Despoblación Escolar en Zonas Rurales del Ecuador: Análisis de la disminución de la Matrícula Escolar (2011- 2023) en la provincia del Carchi

Abstract

Abstract: This research analyzed rural school depopulation in Ecuador with the objective of determining the effect of rural depopulation on educational supply and demand in the rural sectors of the Carchi province during the period 2011 2023. To this end, the study was developed using a quantitative methodological approach, based on the use of official secondary data, an interdisciplinary theoretical framework, demographic and socioeconomic analysis at the national and provincial levels, and the application of multilevel analysis to rural student enrollment. The findings demonstrated that the decrease in school enrollment is due to historical processes of territorial inequality, migration, low birth rates, poverty, and limited opportunities for local development at the parish level. Furthermore, the research identifies that, starting in 2015, following the closure of one-room schools, the precarious state of infrastructure, and the lack of curriculum relevance, school dropout rates increased, weakening the rural community and economic fabric in the process. The research concludes that rural school depopulation is a multidimensional phenomenon requiring intersectoral policies based on three fundamental pillars: equity, territorial development, and community participation. Finally, it underscores the urgent need to strengthen rural education as a strategic core to guarantee the right to education and promote the sustainability of the territory.