The recent PISA mathematics results delivered disappointing news for the United States of America (USA). These results underscored the education system's continuing inequalities. An important question concerns to what extent and to which part of the educational system do these sources of inequality occur? In this paper we use PISA 2012 data merged…

Despite the potential of tertiary education to generate higher incomes and close the poverty gap within and between countries, it is still a challenge for many countries to ensure equity and quality in their higher education admissions. Compared to the more privileged, students from marginalized backgrounds face inequitable inputs that restrict…

Education in some form has existed as long as people have. The earliest learning experiences involved children informally absorbing the values, customs, and ideologies of their communities. As societies evolved, this learning became more formalized; buildings went up, curriculums were developed, processes were created, and structure was…

This paper assesses equality in Irish post-primary education, focusing on the provision of state-funded education and specifically on the provision of schools not segregated by religion, gender, or the charging of fees. Using the concept of the educational landscape, it integrates a macro-micro perspective that combines an analysis of national…

Previous research has shown that the UK has low levels of financial literacy by international standards, particularly among those in lower socio-economic groups. This may have an impact upon young people, with social inequalities in financial attitudes, behaviours and skills perpetuating across generations. Using parent-child linked survey data…

The institutional move associated with embarking upon post-16 study is part of the learner journey taken by many young people in England, including those from widening participation (WP) backgrounds. However, it can present a challenge, although one that has received comparatively little attention from researchers, practitioners and policy makers.…

Explaining the social function of schooling through maintaining, reproducing, and increasing inequalities does not provide a clear framework for what can be done to help the disadvantaged benefit from education. In order to break this vicious circle of describing deficiencies and perpetuating, it is necessary to focus more on the recovery and…

Australian schooling is one of the most segregated systems in the OECD, with much focus on the inequality between schools from poorer areas compared with those from wealthier suburbs. These inequalities have been explored in terms of infrastructure and funding, as well as their relative academic achievement. Previous research has also found that…

Charter school authorizers shape which charter schools open, where they open, and who they serve. We draw on principal agent theory to investigate how the priorities and practices of nine authorizers intersected with charter school applications' attention to the needs of historically marginalized students. Using data from interviews and…

Global citizenship education (GCE) has been implemented in schools as an approach to address growing global issues and increase the internationalization of education. From critical discourse, however, the implementation of GCE seems to be thwarted by neoliberal practices that deepen societal inequality and gaps, and only benefit members of elite…

Scholars question whether cultural capital reproduces existing inequalities or leads to upward mobility. While families provide opportunities to increase cultural capital, schools value and reward cultural capital. Thus, adolescents need to obtain cultural capital through their families to be able to navigate the education system. However, most…

Purpose: Vocational education and training (VET) in Australia has for some time been driven by an agenda of "reasonable adjustment", in which practices are modified to ensure equitable access and participation by disadvantaged students. However, the growing marketization of VET has instead encouraged the use of more flexible approaches…

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the learning process of more than 1.5 billion students and youth around the world. The abrupt and unplanned shift to online schooling had a negative impact on student learning and achievement, with the greatest challenges experienced by the most vulnerable learners. Scientific evidence from across the globe is…

The phenomenon of digital differentiation, or stark variations in ability to access Internet hardware and/or infrastructure, has been a feature of provision since its early days. This article explores the impact of digital differentiation on two groups of young people, in England and Germany. It is based on fieldwork that took place during the…

We examine how funding for public school facilities varies with school district property wealth and household income. Using data on school facility (i.e., capital) funding in California from fiscal years 1986-87 to 2015-16, we find that funding for school construction and modernization varies widely across districts. Disparities in funding are…