The article presents the results of a survey on family conditions and dynamics and their influence on children's performance in public and private primary schools in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The data are from a survey of 299 families and children's proficiency tests produced by the Geres Project. Family-related variables were constructed and multivariate linear regression models were adjusted, starting from a basic model in which the outcome variable was proficiency in the Portuguese language, using family socioeconomic status and type of school as control variables. When analyzed singly, most factors were positively associated with school performance. The control variables and factors associated with the families' cultural capital prevailed when all were analyzed simultaneously. Type of school had a major impact on proficiency, with worse performance in public schools, thus confirming the unjust internal inequalities in the Brazilian school system.
school-family relationship; school inequalities; school performance
