Impactos da pandemia e das desigualdades socioeconômicas no ENEM do Ceará (2019–2023)

Abstract

This study analyzes the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and socioeconomic inequalities on the performance of students from the state of Ceará in the National High School Exam (ENEM) between 2019 and 2023. The main objective is to investigate the existence of “double penalization” — a phenomenon in which students from vulnerable socioeconomic backgrounds and in situations of digital exclusion suffer higher performance losses compared to other groups. The methodology consisted of a quantitative analysis of INEP microdata, employing Multiple Linear Regression models to isolate the impact of municipal connectivity, school type, year of the exam and family income on test scores. The results indicate a partial validation of the central hypothesis: Although the decline in grades was not exacerbated, students in the public school system in municipalities with low connectivity showed stagnant performance, while elite groups maintained or increased their advantage. Statistical analysis revealed a severe institutional penalty of -71.76 points for the public school system, a value that outweighs the incremental gains provided by connectivity (+0.99 per density unit). Furthermore, 2021 was identified as the period of greatest pedagogical loss, with a net decline of 9.05 points in the overall average. It is concluded that while technology acts as a protective factor, the educational bottleneck in Ceará remains institutional and socioeconomic in nature, requiring public policies to prioritize the strengthening of public schools beyond the simple provision of digital infrastructure.