THE TERRITORIAL IDENTITY OF THE PERIPHERAL SCHOOL

Abstract

This article discusses the territorial identity of peripheral schools through the relationships between space, territory, and sociospatial inequalities within the Brazilian educational context. The study aimed to analyze how the territorial identity of peripheral schools contributes to the persistence of educational inequalities. Based on a bibliographic approach, with category selection and Bardin’s (2016) content analysis, the research engages with authors from critical geography and education, including Milton Santos (1991; 2001; 2008), in order to understand how urban peripheries reflect historical processes of exclusion, precariousness, and invisibility of educational investments. The analyses demonstrate that understanding the territorial dimension of schools contributes to broadening the debate on educational inequalities. The final considerations indicate that there is still a wide field for further research, especially regarding public policies that understand educational distribution as a relevant factor in spatial and territorial formations, not only as a permanence of inequalities, but also as a possibility for social transformation.