The paper analyses patterns of school segregation in four big cities in Brazil: Belo Horizonte, Curitiba, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Data was provided by INEP and present information concerning pupils enrolled in the first segment of primary education (1st to 5th grade) from 2007 to 2010. Segregation was assessed using the Segregation Index, according to two indicators of potentially disadvantaged pupils: 1) colour (black pupils); 2) age/grade distortion. Preliminary results suggest that: 1) Curitiba presents the highest levels of school segregation and Rio de Janeiro the lowest; 2) when data from private schools are included, the segregation levels in all cities rise and its impact appears to be higher in recent years (2009 and 2010); 3) there is an association between enrolment regulations and patterns of school segregation.
School Segregation; Educational Opportunities; School Enrolment; Educational Inequality
