Educational Segregation

This qualitative case study explored the sociocultural factors that influence school selection by parents of first-grade elementary school students in a specific state in Uruguay. Data were collected through a series of online focus groups with twenty-seven participants and analyzed thematically using an inductive coding process. Three central themes emerged: School Context, School’s Reputation Through Staff Performance, and Peer Effect. Families from lower socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds prioritized geographic proximity and convenience, expressing a strong connection to their neighborhoods and emphasizing cultural continuity and shared community identity. Many participants valued schools with intergenerational connections, where parents or older siblings had previously attended. However, perceptions of school quality diverged across socioeconomic groups. Families from medium-to-high SES prioritized school prestige, teacher quality, and academic performance, whereas lower-SES families placed less weight on these attributes. For economically vulnerable families, peer relationships were especially significant, as they sought schools offering a stable and supportive social environment. The findings suggest that familial SES plays a key role in shaping school choice and that sociocultural factors contribute to reproducing educational inequalities in Uruguay.