Educação a distância como política de inclusão: um estudo exploratório nos polos do Sistema Universidade Aberta do Brasil em Minas Gerais

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to identify the possible impacts that access to higher education can generate in Minas Gerais towns with low rates of municipal development, being the OUB system (Open University of Brazil) an important inclusion policy, especially in smaller towns. Starting from an exploratory research - descriptive, through socioeconomic indicators related to income, average education and city development by municipal development Index Firjan - IFDM (2012), in conjunction to a case study carried out at the pole of Santa Rita de Caldas/MG, it was possible to identify probable benefits that distance education through the OUB system, can generate in Minas Gerais towns. It was also found that most of the poles of OUB system is present in cities with up to 60,000 inhabitants, demonstrating the presence and potential of this type of education as a tool to foster regional development, beyond identifying strong evidence between levels of education access and socioeconomic development, being the towns with the highest rates of access to higher education among the cities with higher income distribution and municipal development