Challenges for education with equity

Martín HopenhaynDirector

Social Development Division, ECLAC

Regional Preparatory Meeting 2011 ECOSOC Annual Ministerial Review

12 & 13 May, 2011, Buenos Aires, Argentina

1. Shortfalls in achievement and learning outcomes in the school system

2. Education-work linkage reproduces social inequities

3. New divides – the digital divide4. Progressive and regressive factors in the

distribution of public spending on education5. Policy challenges for the region

Issues to be presented

Education is the principal tool for preventing the lifelong perpetuation of differences in origin.

Advances between generations, but intra-generational inequality is maintained

1. Shortfalls in achievement and learning in the school system

Source: ECLAC, based on Information System on Educational Trends in Latin America (SITEAL), Statistical summary I, national totals, October 2008, and special tabulations of surveys in the countries

The greatest advances in coverage, with social convergence, have been made at the level of primary

schooling

LATIN AMERICA (17 COUNTRIES): COMPLETION OF PRIMARY EDUCATION AMONG CHILDREN BETWEEN 15 AND 19 YEARS OLD

9286

9194 96 98

9490

93 96 97 98

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Total Quintil 1 Quintil 2 Quintil 3 Quintil 4 Quintil 5

Po

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Hombres Mujeres

ONE OF THE CLEAREST INDICES OF INEQUALITY IN EDUCATION IS THE CONTRAST BETWEEN SOCIOECONOMIC GROUPS IN

COMPLETION OF SECONDARY SCHOOLING

LATIN AMERICA (18 COUNTRIES): COMPLETION OF UPPER SECONDARY EDUCATION AMONG PEOPLE AGED 20-24 BY PER CAPITA INCOME LEVEL AND SEX, AS OF APPROXIMATELY 2008

49

23

35

49

62

81

22 26

55

26

44

59

72

86

20

31

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Source: ECLAC, based on special tabulations of household surveys in the countries.a Data for young people of indigenous or non-indigenous origin relate to eight countries and refer to 2007.

Source: ECLAC, based on special processing of PISA 2009 microdata.

DIVIDES IN EFFECTIVE LEARNING OUTCOMES ARE ADDED TO GAPS IN NUMBER OF YEARS OF SCHOOLING

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN (NINE COUNTRIES) AND THE OECD AVERAGE: DISTRIBUTION OF ACHIEVEMENT LEVELS IN READING IN THE PISA TEST AMONG STUDENTS AGED 15, BY SOCIOECONOMIC AND CULTURAL GROUP (ISEC)

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• Although many students are of the first generation in their families, tertiary education remains limited to a very small proportion of young people.

• A return to segmented education also reproduces divides in access to decent employment and welfare

2. Education-work linkage reproduces social inequities

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Total Quintil 1 Quintil 2 Quintil 3 Quintil 4 Quintil 5

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Source: ECLAC, based on special tabulations of household surveys in the countries.

Completion of university education is extremely segmented by family income levels

LATIN AMERICA (17 COUNTRIES): COMPLETION OF AT LEAST FIVE YEARS OF UNIVERSITY EDUCATION AMONG PERSONS AGED 25 TO 29, BY PER CAPITA INCOME QUINTILE AND BY SEX, AS OF APPROXIMATELY 2008

307424

500 548

686

1086

1964

666

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1500

2000

2500

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Source: ECLAC, based on special tabulations of household surveys in the countries.

Quality of insertion into the workplace depends heavily on education level achieved

LATIN AMERICA (18 COUNTRIES): MONTHLY WORKING INCOME FOR THE WORKFORCE AGED 15 TO 29, AGED 30 TO 64, AND ALL AGED OVER 15, BY EDUCATION LEVEL ACHIEVED a(In year 2000 ppp dollars)

Educational divides mark fairly rigid thresholds in perspectives for employment welfare for young people

AVERAGE OF EMPLOYED PEOPLE AGED 20 TO 29, AS OF APPROXIMATELY 2008 a/b (In number of years of studies)

1213

1514 14

12

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1617 17

1615 15 15

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Source: Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), based on special tabulations of household surveys in the countries.a Employed for 20 or more hours per week.b Urban areas.

• The digital divide exacerbates divides in learning, broadened communication, social networks, access to productive employment, and public voice – digital convergence clearly helps overcome these divides.

• The school system is key in generalizing people’s access, training, and usage of new digital technologies

3.New divides – the digital divide

Source: ECLAC, based on special processing of PISA 2009 microdata.

The school system has played a significant role in reducing differences in access to technology – but does not guarantee

USAGE

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN (9 COUNTRIES): DISPARITY IN ACCESS BETWEEN STUDENTS IN THE HIGHEST AND LOWEST QUARTILES OF SOCIOECONOMIC AND CULTURAL STATUS, BY PLACE OF ACCESS, 2009 (%)

• Social spending (and on education) has risen significantly over the past decades

• However, spending on education tracks economic cycles and is very heterogeneous in the region

• Spending on primary and lower secondary education is progressive, but starting in upper secondary, and especially at the tertiary level, it is regressive

4. Progressive and regressive factors in the distribution of public spending on education

LATIN AMERICA (15 COUNTRIES): DISTRIBUTION OF PUBLIC SPENDING ON EDUCATION BY INCOME GROUP, AND BY COMPARISON TO PER

CAPITA INCOME a/

Source: Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), based on special tabulations of household surveys in countries and data from UNESCO-UIS. a/ Unweighted average.

PUBLIC SPENDING ON EDUCATION

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

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Gasto público en educación

Equidistribución

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Ingreso percápitaEducación preescolarEducación primariaEquidistribución

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Educación secundaria superior

Equidistribución

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Educación postsecundaria y terciaria

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SPENDING ON PRESCHOOL AND PRIMARY EDUCATION

SPENDING ON SECONDARY EDUCATION

SPENDING ON TERTIARY EDUCATION

1. Education policy must be linked to other efforts in social promotion and protection (for example, transfers to vulnerable homes with children at risk of desertion/discontinuity of studies, increased childcare coverage).

2. Key intervention factors in the area of education:

– Increased coverage of early childhood education and preschool

– Extending the primary school day

– Incorporation of ICT into education

– Obtain progression and completion of secondary education in sectors from homes with lower incomes and educational capital

– Articulation with the education/training system for work

– Making quality compatible with expansion in higher education

5. Policy challenges

FOR EDUCATION TO REVERT INEQUALITIES OF ORIGIN AND IN THE LIFE CYCLE :

Challenges for education with equity

Martín HopenhaynDirector

Social Development Division, ECLAC

Regional Preparatory Meeting 2011 ECOSOC Annual Ministerial Review

12 & 13 May, 2011, Buenos Aires, Argentina