Résumé (EN)

Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the education system in Peru has known a considerable development. This suggests that in all probabilities opportunities for study should be on a more equal basis. In the present article, I set out to discover whether all social groups have really benefited from the development of the school system and whether this development created equal opportunities or not. I therefore analyze the evolution of educational inequalities throughout the twentieth century by basing my observations on the evolution of the relationship between the educational level attained and the sociocultural origin of the person. I then examine whether the apparently diminishing importance of this relationship is due to the opening up of a vaster field of equal opportunities or whether the principal factor is the generalized prolongation of studies. Finally, I examine what public policies could be pursued in order to increase equal educational opportunities. Thanks to the exceptional quality of the data at our disposal, this is the first time these issues can be dealt with in relationship to a developing country.