The academic performance gap between advantaged and disadvantaged
children develops from as early as 10 years old and widens
throughout students’ lives, according to a new OECD report.
Equity in Education:
Breaking down barriers to social mobility finds
that, on average across OECD countries with comparable data, more
than two-thirds of the achievement gap observed at age 15 and
about two-thirds of the gap among 25-29 year-olds was already
seen among 10-year-olds.
The report finds a strong link between a school’s socio-economic
profile and a student’s performance: students who attend more
socio-economically advantaged schools perform better in PISA.
Yet, on average across OECD countries, 48% of disadvantaged
students attended disadvantaged schools in 2015 and there has
been no significant change in segregation levels in most
countries over the past decade.
On average across OECD countries, disadvantaged students
attending advantaged schools score 78 points higher than those
attending disadvantaged schools, equivalent to more than two and
a half years of schooling.
A school’s socio-economic profile is most strongly related to
performance in countries including Belgium, Bulgaria, France,
Hungary, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia and the Netherlands, where
disadvantaged students attending advantaged schools score more
than 130 points higher in science than those in disadvantaged
schools. But in Finland, Norway and Poland students from all
social backgrounds do well.
“Too little headway has been made to break down the barriers to
social mobility and give all children an equal chance to
succeed,” said Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education
and Skills. “More investment is needed to help disadvantaged
students do better, including recognition of the critical role
that teachers have to play.”
The report also looks at the impact of well-being on performance.
It says that around one in four disadvantaged students across
OECD countries are “socially and emotionally resilient”, meaning
they are satisfied with their life, feel socially integrated at
school and do not suffer from test anxiety. In Croatia, the Czech
Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, the
Netherlands and Switzerland, the share of such students is among
the largest (30% or more) but in other European countries,
including Bulgaria, Italy, Montenegro, Portugal and the United
Kingdom, the share is comparatively small (less than 20%).
Disadvantaged students who are socially and emotionally resilient
tend to do better academically. This implies that helping
disadvantaged students develop positive attitudes and behaviours
towards themselves and their education would also boost their
academic development.
Giving early access to education is key, says the report, so that
children can acquire essential social and emotional skills,
particularly those from disadvantaged families. Countries should
also target additional resources towards disadvantaged students
and schools, and reduce the concentration of disadvantaged
students in schools.
Teachers need more support so they can identify students’ needs
and manage diversity in classrooms, build strong links with
parents, and encourage parents to be more involved in their
child’s education. Teachers can also foster students’ well-being
and create a positive learning environment for all students by
emphasising the importance of persistence and by encouraging
students to support each other, such as through peer-mentoring
programmes.
A separate OECD report, Responsive School
Systems, also highlights the importance of promoting
educational equity, as well as quality and efficiency. It
includes analysis and recommendations on the organisation of
school facilities and education services in a context of changing
demand for school places and evolving student needs.
Further information on Equity in Education,
including country notes for Australia, Canada, Denmark, France,
Germany, Mexico, Switzerland, UK and the US, is available
at: http://www.oecd.org/education/equity-in-education-9789264073234-en.htm.
Responsive School Systems is available
at: http://www.oecd.org/education/responsive-school-systems-9789264306707-en.htm.
