Preprint / Version 1

Connected schools, persistent inequalities: federalism and state capacity in the implementation of educational connectivity policy in Brazil

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Regina Lúcia Rocha Santos Federal University of Piauí https://orcid.org/0009-0003-5840-4390
- Conceptualization
- Data Curation
- Formal Analysis
- Investigation
- Methodology
- Project Administration
- Visualization
- Writing – Original Draft Preparation
- Writing – Review & Editing
Helga do Nascimento de Almeida Federal University of São Francisco Valley https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7245-4288
- Conceptualization
- Methodology
- Supervision
- Validation
- Writing – Review & Editing
Carlos Alberto Pereira da Silva Universidade Estadual do Piauí https://orcid.org/0009-0002-9529-0698
- Conceptualization
- Methodology
- Validation
- Writing – Review & Editing

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/SciELOPreprints.17215

Keywords:

Educational connectivity, public policy, federalism, educational inequalities, digital inclusion

Abstract

This article analyzes Brazil’s educational connectivity policy, focusing on the Connected Education Innovation Program (Programa de Inovação Educação Conectada – PIEC) and the National Connected Schools Strategy (Estratégia Nacional de Escolas Conectadas – ENEC), with the aim of examining the extent to which these initiatives have contributed to reducing regional inequalities in access to digital infrastructure and promoting the pedagogical integration of digital technologies in public schools. The study adopts a mixed-methods, descriptive-analytical approach based on a literature review, documentary analysis, and secondary data from the Brazilian School Census, the ICT in Education Survey (CGI.br), the Brazilian Yearbook of Basic Education, the Connected Schools Indicator (INEC), and official policy documents. The findings indicate that, despite significant progress in expanding internet access across public schools, substantial structural disparities persist among regions, education systems, and territorial contexts, particularly in rural, Indigenous, and Quilombola schools. The results also show that expanding digital infrastructure alone is insufficient to ensure the effective pedagogical use of digital technologies. The study concludes that the effectiveness of educational connectivity policies depends on the articulation of federal coordination, state capacity, teacher professional development, and institutional implementation conditions, demonstrating that educational connectivity represents a broader challenge of public governance and the reduction of educational inequalities in Brazil.

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Author Biographies

Regina Lúcia Rocha Santos, Federal University of Piauí

Master's student in Political Science at the Federal University of Piauí (UFPI); holds a specialization in Clinical and Institutional Psychopedagogy from UESPI (2007) and a degree in *Normal Superior* (Teacher Education) from the Santo Agostinho University Center (2006). Currently, she is a teacher for the Teresina Municipal Department of Education and a coordinator within the Directorate for Scientific and Technological Development at the Piauí State Research Support Foundation (FAPEPI), while also working in the Monitoring and Evaluation Coordination unit for the Open University of Piauí (UAPI) program at FAPEPI. She previously served as the institutional coordinator for the FAPEPI/CAPES agreement and as the coordinator for scholarships and grants at FAPEPI. She is currently a member of the "Politik" research group—registered in the CNPq Research Group Directory—where she conducts studies focused on the analysis of digital public policies in education. She has experience in the field of Education, with an emphasis on education, monitoring, and evaluation.

Helga do Nascimento de Almeida, Federal University of São Francisco Valley

She is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the Federal University of the São Francisco Valley (UNIVASF), within the Social Sciences Department. She is a permanent faculty member of the Graduate Program in Political Science at the Federal University of Piauí (UFPI) and the Graduate Program in Politics, Culture, and Society at the Federal University of the São Francisco Valley (PoCAm). She holds a PhD in Political Science from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (2017), having completed a visiting doctoral research period at the University of Rome La Sapienza (Department of Communication and Social Research, 2015–2016). She holds an MA in Political Science (2013) and a BA in Social Sciences (2010) from the Federal University of Minas Gerais. She serves as Coordinator of the Social Sciences Department at UNIVASF, Vice-Coordinator of the Internet Conflict Observatory (Observa/UFABC), and Coordinator of the "Politik – Center for Studies on Institutions, Participation, and Political Culture" research group at UNIVASF. She is a researcher at the Center for Research on Internet and Politics (CEPPI/UFMG) and a member of the Executive Committee of the Brazilian Network of Women Scientists (RBMC).

Carlos Alberto Pereira da Silva, Universidade Estadual do Piauí

He holds a full teaching degree in Physics from the Federal University of Piauí (1988) and a Master's degree in Physics from the Federal University of Ceará (1994). He is currently an Assistant Professor IV at the State University of Piauí. He has experience in the field of Physics, with an emphasis on Condensed Matter Physics, transport properties, statistical physics, Equations of State, phase equilibrium, and phase transitions, and is a member of the State Board of Education.

PDF (Portuguese)

Submitted

07/30/2026

Posted

08/04/2026

How to Cite

Connected schools, persistent inequalities: federalism and state capacity in the implementation of educational connectivity policy in Brazil. (2026). In SciELO Preprints. https://doi.org/10.1590/SciELOPreprints.17215