Social inequalities in education are not set in stone

by Carlos González-SanchoAnalyst, OECD Directorate for Education and SkillsMost people see social inequities in education as stubbornly persistent. Children of wealthy and highly educated parents tend to do better in school than children from less-privileged families. Even though historic progress has been made in providing schooling that is universal and free-of-charge, disparities in families’ capacity...

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Who are the winners and losers of the expansion of education over the past 50 years?

by Dirk Van DammeHead of the Innovation and Measuring Progress Division, Directorate for Education and SkillsModern education systems, which are open to the middle classes and the poor, not just the elites, were established during the first industrial revolution in the 18th and 19th centuries. The growing demand for elementary literacy and technical skills during that period prompted an expansion...

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How student attitudes towards the value of education can be shaped by careers education – evidence from the OECD’s PISA study

by Anthony Mann Director of Policy and Research, Education and Employers Taskforce, London, UKDr Elnaz T. Kashefpakdel Senior Researcher, Education and Employers Taskforce, London, UKAs governments around the world seek to tackle stubbornly high levels of youth unemployment, new attention has been focused on the relationship between education and employment. Both researchers and...

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Building strong partnerships to tackle Mexico’s skills challenges

by Gabriela RamosChief of Staff, OECD Skills are central to the future prosperity and well-being of Mexico’s people Skills are the foundation upon which Mexico must build future growth and prosperity. Mexico, being one of the youngest populations among OECD countries, has a strong demographic advantage and thus a unique window of opportunity. But it also faces common challenges to bring the...

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