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Equity and inequity in Higher Education: a reflection

The article addresses the equity issue in Higher Education from three aspects: equity of access, of participation and of results. It reflects and asks what is equity in this level of education. The theoretical framework was based on the studies presented at the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) 2008 and others. It presents a statistical comparison between the latest average scores of the students approved in the vestibular (Brazilian university admission exam) of a public HEI (Higher Education Institution) in 2008 and the minimum score of the approved students in the admission exam of the same institution, in 2007. The theoretical interlocution and the statistical study characterize the state of knowledge of the subject under qualitative and quantitative aspects, strengthening the identification of the involved in the equity or the inequity in Higher Education. This paper highlights the existence of policies of affirmative actions as a way to increase the equity of access. The results indicate the existence of inequity in the primary and secondary education. The article emphasizes the need of further studies on equity in Education.

Higher Education; Equity of access; Permanence; OECD


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