This study focuses on the influence of contexts on
educational results (measured by the years of formal schooling) in Uruguay
using the Longitudinal Survey of Social Protection for the cohorts born between
1955 and 1989. Three complementary approaches are used in order to get a
clearer picture of these influences. The percentage of the variance in years of
education explained by each model is used as a summary measure of each
approach. The results show that father’s education explains 28.6% and mother’s
29.2%. When a broad set of observable circumstances is considered from an
equality of opportunities approach, this value was estimated at 39.6%. The
family and neighbourhood contexts shared by siblings were estimated at 63% of
the variance of the schooling years. The analysis of subsequent cohorts shows
that the importance of contexts has been growing consistently under any of the
three approaches in the last cohorts studied. No relevant differences were
found in the estimates for men and women separately.
