Educative exclusion in ecuador: identification of priority groups through strategic multivariate analysis for the formulation of public policies

Abstract

This multivariate study analyzes educational attendance patterns in Ecuador, using data from the 2022 Population and Housing Census. The main purpose is to identify the age group with the highest incidence of educational exclusion, in order to guide targeted interventions. The research is classified as descriptive and exploratory, with a quantitative approach. The universe is composed of the population surveyed at the national level, and the unit of analysis corresponds to five-year age groups. The variables used were the total number of attendees, non-attendees, and total population, disaggregated by sex. The analysis integrates techniques such as graphical representation using principal components, hierarchization by Pareto analysis, and segmentation by hierarchical clusters, represented in heat maps. These tools made it possible to identify patterns of dependency and similarity between age groups, as well as to establish priorities for intervention. Among the main results, it is noteworthy that the 30-49 age groups account for more than 50% of the population that does not attend educational institutions, suggesting a structural lag. The segmentation confirms the existence of different profiles between age groups. It is concluded that the proposed approach facilitates the identification of priority cohorts, providing useful evidence for the formulation of educational policies aimed at reintegrating adults into the education system.