No More Failures: 10 steps to equity in education
FAIRNESS AND INCLUSIONInternational ConferenceTrondheim, Norway4 June 2007
The study rests on:
• Work in and by ten countries in particular…• …Belgium (Flanders), Finland, France,
Hungary, Norway, the Russian Federation, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. ..
• …and more than 1000 people in those countries
• …policy makers, experts, rapporteurs, teachers, students, parents, community groups, trade unions.
The OECD secretariat report
• Entitled “No more failures: 10 steps to equity in education”
• Prepared by Beatriz Pont, Malgorzata Kuczera and Simon Field
Step 1: Limit early tracking and streaming and postpone academic
selection.
• Why?
• Stakeholders?
• Obstacles.
• It can be done.
Early tracking, probably bad for equity, no evidence improves
overall outcomes.Teachers, parents of those doing well and those doing
badly
Entrenched institutional and cultural divides between
different tracks
Sweden half century ago, Spain a decade ago,
Poland.
Step 2: Manage school choice so as to contain the risks to equity
• Why?
• Stakeholders?
• Obstacles.
• It can be done.
Choice may damage equity by increasing social differences
between schools
Parents, school heads, teachers, political leaders
When complexity in decision-making damages equity
Lotteries in US, Japan for places for over-subscribed
schools.
Step 3: In upper secondary education, provide attractive alternatives, remove dead ends and
prevent drop out.
• Why?
• Stakeholders?
• Obstacles.
• It can be done.
Drop out has huge social costs and is an immense waste.
Employment and social affairs as well as education
ministries.
School-to-work routes for the weakest performers are awkward by definition.
Nordic countries for dead ends, US Gates-funded
scheme has tackled drop out
Step 4: Offer second chances to gain from education.
• Why?
• Stakeholders?
• Obstacles.
• It can be done.
Intergenerational equity,
Weak stakeholders. Adult learning institutions, employers, learners.
Cost, potential competition with initial upper secondary
education.
Eg adult learning in Norway, Spain.
Step 5: Identify and provide systematic help to those who fall behind at school,
and reduce year repetition.• Why?
• Stakeholders?
• Obstacles.
• It can be done.
Comparative international evidence shows huge improvements possible.
Evidence against year repetition compelling.Parents/ students at risk,
school teachers.
Resource implications/ change in teacher culture required/ teacher
resistance to removal of year repetition.
Proven techniques for rescuing those falling behind, shifting
incentives on schools using year repetition.
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
30.0
35.0
40.0
%
Below Level 1(below 335 score points)
Level 1(from 335 to 407 score points)
Percentage of very poor readers at age 15: big differences between
countries.
Step 6: Help disadvantaged parents to help their children to learn, strengthening the
links between school and home.• Why?
• Stakeholders?
• Obstacles.
• It can be done.
Parents role in education both crucial and a source of inequity.
Parents and schools
The school gates
After school homework clubs in many countries.
Home school links in Sweden
Step 7: Respond to diversity and provide for the successful inclusion of
migrants and minorities
• Why?
• Stakeholders?
• Obstacles.
• It can be done.
Variable attainment levels of migrants. Language issues. Employment
discrimination
Migrant communities. Education institutions.
Prejudice and intolerance. Pace of change in some countries
Spanish welcome classes for immigrants, in Hungary
successful schemes for desegregation
Step 8: Provide strong education for all, giving priority to early childhood provision and basic schooling.
• Why?
• Stakeholders?
• Obstacles.
• It can be done.
Early interventions more cost-effective
Education sectors and their respective lobbies
Education sectors and their respective lobbies
In England, strong shift in public spending away from
tertiary towards early childhood.
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
Pre-primaryeducation (for
children 3 yearsand older)
Primaryeducation
Lowersecondaryeducation
Uppersecondaryeducation
All tertiaryeducation
US
dolla
rs
public private
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?
• Stakeholders?
• Obstacles.
• It can be done.
Inequality of provision
Local/ regional government Schools / local communities
StigmatisationRegional democracy and
autonomy
Dependent on local contexts
International experience of needs-based funding
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
Very low income Low income Moderate income Middle income High income
Inve
stm
en
t p
er
stu
de
nt in
$ Expenditure per pupil
Step 10: Set concrete targets for more equity, particularly related to low school
attainment and dropouts.
• Why?
• Stakeholders?
• Obstacles.
• It can be done.
Evidence that many countries could do better – comparison with
best performers
Politicians, delivery agencies
Avoiding distortionsTargets which are realistic and
demanding
Scotland, EU
Two questions
• Are these ten steps the right ones?
• If so, what scope do you see for implementing them in your countries?
No More Failures: 10 steps to equity in education
FAIRNESS AND INCLUSIONInternational ConferenceTrondheim, Norway4 June 2007