Mother’s or Teacher’s Education? Educational Stratification and Grade Progression in Brazil

Eduardo L.G. Rios-Neto, Federal University of Minas Gerais
Cibele C. César, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Juliana Riani, Centro de Desenvolvimento e Planejamento Regional (CEDEPLAR)

This paper deals with the determinants of grade progression in primary education in Brazil. The determinants of two grade progressions are studied: from zero to one year of schooling and from four to five years of schooling. A hierarchical (multilevel) logit model is estimated for the determination of grade progression. At level one, we consider only standard SES variables. At level two, average teachers’ education is calculated for each cell. A test confirms the hypothesis that both intercept and mother’s education coefficients are random in level two cells. In terms of the fixed effects of level two, teacher’s education affects the intercept positively and, at the same time, affects the mother’s education coefficient negatively. This important result indicates that mother’s education is a substitute for teacher’s education in the determination of grade progression for first grade.