Movimentos pendulares de estudantes de nível superior na região geográfica imediata de Montes Claros (Minas Gerais/Brasil)

Abstract

Commuting is characterized by the movement of a population between two or more municipalities in search of certain goods and services. This is characterized as a specific category of population mobility that has been standing out in urban and interurban studies. Seeking to understand commuting, this work aims to analyze the commuting movements of higher education students in the Immediate Geographic Region of Montes Claros, mainly towards Montes Claros. To this end, the following methodology was used: bibliographic review; collection of secondary data from the 2022 Higher Education Census, the 2010 IBGE Demographic Census, and the 2021 Annual Report of Social Information; tabulation of the results and estimates of the Locational Quotient and the Commuting Effectiveness Index. The results of this research can contribute to broader and more effective educational planning in the municipalities of the Immediate Geographic Region of Montes Claros, especially in those where there is a greater deficit of higher education institutions and courses. It is considered that the region's commuting university students are mostly young women aged 20 to 24, of mixed race, enrolled mainly in private institutions. Furthermore, the municipality of Montes Claros is the main destination for students in the region. According to the QL estimate, it stands out as the most specialized in the education sector, with a QL of 1.270, that is, it has a significant concentration of workers in the education sector; and, in relation to the IE classification, this is the only one that qualifies as an area of commuting absorption, at the highest level (strong) (0.84).