Análises em economia da educação: avaliação das escolas estaduais de educação profissional do Ceará.

Abstract

This thesis, situated within the field of Economics of Education, analyzes the policy of creating State Schools of Professional Education (EEEP) in the state of Ceará, Brazil, combining theoretical and impact assessment evaluations of its effects on socioeconomic development. Starting from a context marked by inequality, low workforce qualification, and difficulties in youth labor market insertion, the study investigates the extent to which vocational education can contribute to employability, income, and the reduction of social externalities such as youthcrime. The research is structured into three complementary essays. The first reconstructs the policy logic through Program Theory and the Logical Framework, highlighting internal consistency between diagnosis, objectives, instruments, and expected outcomes, with emphasis on mechanisms such as the integration of general and technical education, extended school hours, and linkages with the productive sector. The second essay evaluates the impacts of the policy on income and employability of young individuals aged 15 to 29 across municipalities in Ceará from 2008 to 2024, using a Differences-in-Differences approach following Callaway and Sant’Anna (2021), finding no statistically significant aggregate effects, althoughheterogeneous impacts are observed at the sectoral level. The third essay investigates the effects of the policy on homicide rates among young males aged 15 to 19, employing the sameDifferences-in-Differences methodology, and finds no statistically significant impacts. Overall, the results indicate that, despite its theoretical consistency and localized effects, the policy hasnot produced significant aggregate changes, highlighting the importance of expanding access,targeting vulnerable groups, and coordinating with other public policies to enhance itseffectiveness.