CHALLENGES OF SCHOOL MANAGEMENT IN RURAL AND URBAN CONTEXTS: A COMPARATIVE APPROACH

Abstract

School management plays a fundamental role in the administrative, pedagogical, and social organization of educational institutions, being directly influenced by the characteristics of rural and urban contexts. This study aimed to comparatively analyze the main challenges faced by school management in these different educational scenarios. This is an integrative literature review, with a qualitative and descriptive approach, carried out in the SciELO, Google Scholar, and CAPES Portal databases, considering publications between 2020 and 2026. The results showed that rural schools face difficulties related to access, school transportation, structural limitations, and a scarcity of technological resources, while urban schools experience overcrowding, school violence, social inequality, and high administrative demands. It was also observed that strategies such as democratic management, continuing education, strategic planning, and integration between school and community contribute to strengthening school organization and improving educational quality.