No More Failures: 10 steps to equity in education

1
No More Failures 10 steps to equity in education

• Beatriz Pont
• OECD Directorate for Education
• EVIDENCE BASED EDUCATION POLICY
• STEPS TO EQUITY IN EDUCATION
• EUNEC - CNE conference
• 9 October 2007, Lisbon, Portugal

2
OECD Review of Equity in Education

• Ten countries participated in the study
  Belgium(Flanders), Finland, France, Hungary,
  Norway,
• the Russian Federation, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden
  and Switzerland.
• Comparative report No More Failures 10 steps to
  equity in education is set in wider OECD
  context.
• The conference on Fair and Inclusive Education
  held in Trondheim, Norway, 4-5 June 2007 brought
  together policy makers, scholars and senior
  educational administrators from 22 OECD and non
  member countries.
• Our web site http//www.oecd.org/edu/equity/equit
  yineducation

3
My presentation today

• Ten countries participated in the study
  Belgium(Flanders), Finland, France, Hungary,
  Norway,
• the Russian Federation, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden
  and Switzerland.
• Comparative report No More Failures 10 steps to
  equity in education is set in wider OECD
  context.
• The conference on Fair and Inclusive Education
  held in Trondheim, Norway, 4-5 June 2007 brought
  together policy makers, scholars and senior
  educational administrators from 22 OECD and non
  member countries.
• Our web site http//www.oecd.org/edu/equity/equit
  yineducation

4
Why is equity in education important?

• Education enhances life chances of individuals
  and well being of societies.
• Equity in education supports social equity.
• Unequal results in education have heavy costs.
• Equity in education is an end in itself.
• There is no contradiction between equity and
  efficiency in education.

5
Is inequity in education still an issue?

• Over the last decade there was a huge expansion
  in educational provision. And with this expansion
  went a bold hope that young people would get on
  in education, regardless of their background.
• Has it happened?

6
Equity in education

• Two dimensions of equity in education
• Equity as inclusion
• Poor readers in the OECD countries

7
Equity in education

• Two dimensions of equity in education
• Equity as fairness
• Social background and school performance

Odds ratios of the likelihood of students with
the lowest socio-economic status to be lowest
mathematics performers relative to the likelihood
of students with the highest socio-economic
status to be lowest mathematics performers (2003)
Country ratio is significantly higher than the
OECD average odds ratio.
Country ratio is significantly lower than the
OECD average odds ratio.
8
How to improve equity in education ?

• Equity in education is an issue which needs to be
  addressed with all tools of social and economic
  policy

If you are born poor in Britain today youre
more likely than your parents were to stay poor.
The countrys richer than its ever been but
social mobility has stagnated and is at its
lowest point for decades. ( BBC radio web site
on Humphrys reports on social mobility in modern
Britain)
9
10 principles of equity in education

• Design
• Step 1 Limit early tracking
• Step 2 Manage school choice
• Step 3 Inclusive upper secondary education
• Step 4 Second chances
• Practices
• Step 5 Help those falling behind
• Step 6 Reach out to homes
• Step 7 Respond to diversity
• Resourcing
• Step 8 Priority to early childhood and basic
  education
• Step 9 Direct resources to needy areas and
  schools
• Step 10 Targets for equity

10
Step 1 Limit early tracking and streaming and
postpone academic selection.
Early tracking increases inequity, no evidence
that it improves overall outcomes.

• Why?
• What works.
• It can be done.

• - Raising age of tracking
• Comprehensive schooling
• Use academic selection with caution

Sweden half century ago, Spain a decade ago,
Poland.
11
Step 2 Manage school choice so as to contain the
risks to equity
Choice may damage equity by increasing social
differences between schools

• Why?
• What can work.
• It can be done.

-schools need to ensure an even social mix so
that there are not increased differences in
social composition of schools.
-Lotteries in US, Japan for places for
over-subscribed schools. -Financial premiums -
Selection criteria in Spain
12
Step 2 Manage school choice so as to contain the
risks to equity
How school choice increases social differences
between schools? (2003)
13
Step 3 In upper secondary education, provide
attractive alternatives, remove dead ends and
prevent drop out.

• Why?
• It can be done.

Drop out has huge social costs and is an immense
waste.

• What works.

Early identification of students at risk helps
Good career guidance Provide equivalent flexible
and diverse curriculum in secondary.
US Gates-funded scheme has tackled drop out
Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) in the UK
14
Step 4 Offer second chances to gain from
education.
Intergenerational equity, one-shot selection
processes are always flawed

• Why?
• Obstacles.
• It can be done.

Lower rate of return, potential competition with
initial upper secondary education.
Eg adult learning in Sweden, Spain.
15
Practices the next 3 steps

• Step 5 Help those falling behind
• Step 6 Reach out to homes
• Step 7 Respond to diversity

16
Step 5 Identify and provide systematic help to
those who fall behind at school, and reduce year
repetition.

• Why?
• Obstacles.
• It can be done.

Comparative international evidence shows huge
improvements possible. Evidence against year
repetition compelling.
Resource implications/ change in teacher culture
required/ teacher resistance to removal of year
repetition.
Finnish approach, novel approaches in France to
ending year repetition, reading recovery schemes
17
Step 6 Help disadvantaged parents to help their
children to learn, strengthening the links
between school and home.

• Why?
• Obstacles.
• It can be done.

Parents role in education both crucial and a
source of inequity.
The school gates
After school homework clubs in many countries.
Home school links in Sweden
18
Step 7 Respond to diversity and provide for the
successful inclusion of migrants and minorities
Variable attainment levels of migrants. Language
issues. Employment discrimination

• Why?
• Obstacles.
• It can be done.

Prejudice and intolerance. Need for data.
Spanish welcome classes for immigrants, in
Hungary successful schemes for desegregation
19
Resources the final 3 steps

• Step 8 Priority to early childhood and basic
  education
• Step 9 Direct resources to needy areas and
  schools
• Step 10 Targets for equity

20
Step 8 Provide strong education for all, giving
priority to early childhood provision and basic
schooling.

• Why?
• Obstacles.
• It can be done.

Early interventions more cost-effective
Education sectors and their respective lobbies
In England, strong shift in public spending away
from tertiary towards early childhood.
21
Step 8 Provide strong education for all, giving
priority to early childhood provision and basic
schooling.
22
Step 9 Direct resources to the students with the
greatest needs, so that poorer communities have
at least the same level of provision as those
better off and schools in difficulty are
supported.

• Why?
• Obstacles.
• It can be done.

Inequality of provision
Regional democracy and autonomy
Dependent on local contexts International
experience of needs-based funding
23
Step 10 Set concrete targets for more equity,
particularly related to low school attainment and
dropouts.
Evidence that many countries could do better
comparison with best performers

• Why?
• Obstacles.
• It can be done.

Avoiding distortions Targets which are realistic
and demanding
Scotland, EU
24

• Thank you
• No More Failures 10 Steps to Equity in
  Education
• -published in September 2007
• -authors Simon Field, Malgorzata Kuczera,
  Beatriz Pont
• website www.oecd.org/edu/equity/equityineducation