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