This document discusses inequality in children's education in rich countries. It finds that inequality begins early, with gaps in reading scores existing by age 10. Factors outside a child's control, such as their parents' occupation, explain up to 42% of differences in reading scores. Inequality is reinforced as children progress through school. School systems that are more segregated by ability or have policies like tracking tend to have larger performance differences between schools. However, systems can promote both high standards and equality. The document advocates for policies that provide all children with a level playing field.

1. AN UNFAIR START
INEQUALITY IN
CHILDREN’S EDUCATION
IN RICH COUNTRIES
YEKATERINA CHZHEN, GWYTHER REES, ANNA
GROMADA, JOSE CUESTA AND ZLATA BRUCKAUF

2. SOURCES OF
EDUCATIONAL
INEQUALITIES

3. MEASURES OF
INEQUALITY
INEQUALITY OF
OUTCOMES
Gap in reading scores
between the top performing
90% and the bottom
performing 10%.
INEQUALITY OF
OPPORTUNITY
The % variation in children’s
reading scores due to
circumstances outside of
the child’s control.
BOTTOM 10% TOP 10%THE GAP

4. These countries
should be
considered the
least unequal,
rather than having
high equality.
LEAST UNEQUAL COUNTRIES
1 Latvia 4= 2 1
2 Ireland 33 16 2
3 Spain 22 4 3
4 Denmark 17= 12 4
5 Estonia 31 5
6 Poland 4= 15 6
7 Croatia 24 7
8 Japan 34 8
9 Canada 27 18 9
10 Slovenia 28 17 10
11 Finland 14 3 11
12 Portugal 8 8 12
13 Italy 15 6 13

5. MID-INEQUALITY COUNTRIES
14 Romania 39 14
15 Lithuania 1 13 15
16 United Kingdom 20 23 16
17 Republic of Korea 35 17
18 Switzerland 4= 18
19 Hungary 32 19 19
20 Norway 17= 7 20
21 Greece 29 21
22 Iceland 2= 22
23 Germany 23 20 23
24 United States 40 22 24
25 Sweden 16 11 25

6. MOST UNEQUAL COUNTRIES
26 Netherlands 10= 1 26
27 Czech Republic 38 10 27
28 Belgium 10= 9 28
29 Austria 10= 5 29
30 Australia 36 25 30
31 Cyprus 26 31
32 Slovakia 37 21 32
33 New Zealand 30 28 33
34 Luxembourg 13 34
35 France 2= 14 35
36 Israel 4= 27 36
37 Bulgaria 24 26 37
38 Malta 17= 29 38

7. MORE EQUAL SYSTEMS TEND
TO HAVE HIGHER STANDARDS
[CELLRANGE][CELLRANGE][CELLRANGE][CELLRANGE]
[CELLRANGE][CELLRANGE] [CELLRANGE][CELLRANGE][CELLRANGE] [CELLRANGE][CELLRANGE] [CELLRANGE][CELLRANGE] [CELLRANGE][CELLRANGE] [CELLRANGE][CELLRANGE][CELLRANGE][CELLRANGE][CELLRANGE][CELLRANGE] [CELLRANGE][CELLRANGE][CELLRANGE] [CELLRANGE][CELLRANGE][CELLRANGE][CELLRANGE]
[CELLRANGE] [CELLRANGE][CELLRANGE][CELLRANGE] [CELLRANGE]
[CELLRANGE]
[CELLRANGE] [CELLRANGE]
[CELLRANGE]
[CELLRANGE]
50%
55%
60%
65%
70%
75%
80%
85%
90%
95%
100%
200 220 240 260 280 300 320
%ofchildrenreachinglevel2reading
proficiency
Performance gap in reading achievement

8. There is no trade-off
between equality and
standards.

9. PRESCHOOL

10. In 16 out of 29 European countries,
children from the richest families
are more likely to attend early
childhood education and care.16

11. PRIMARY
SCHOOL

12. HUGE GAPS ALREADY EXIST AT AGE 10
0
50
100
150
200
250
Netherlands Flanders
(Belgium)
Latvia Israel New Zealand Malta
ReadingPointsGap

13. Children of professionals
score much higher in
reading tests.

14. WHAT ELSE AFFECTS READING SCORES?

15. FACTORS
BEYOND
CHILDREN’S
CONTROL
EXPLAIN UP
TO 42% OF
DIFFERENCES
IN READING
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
Portugal
Ireland
Finland
Denmark
Norway
Latvia
Czech Republic
Poland
Italy
Spain
Slovenia
Austria
Hungary
Bulgaria
Slovakia
Parental occupation only All circumstances

16. PRIMARY SCHOOL DIFFERENCES
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Slovenia Finland Norway New Zealand Israel Bulgaria

17. PRIMARY SCHOOL
DIFFERENCES:
SLOVENIA
Slovenia is the top performer
with regards school segregation.
There are small differences in
test scores between schools.
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
TESTSCORES
SCHOOL A SCHOOL B

18. PRIMARY SCHOOL
DIFFERENCES:
BULGARIA
Bulgaria is the worst performer
with regards school segregation.
There are large differences in
test scores between schools.
TESTSCORES
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
SCHOOL A SCHOOL B

19. SECONDARY
SCHOOL

20. Which school a child goes
to really matters. This is
often linked with
family background.
SECONDARY SCHOOL DIFFERENCES
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
Iceland Finland Norway Bulgaria Hungary Netherlands
Explained by parents' occupation Not explained by parents' occupation

21. SECONDARY
SCHOOL
DIFFERENCES:
NORWAY
Norway is one of the top
performers with regards to
secondary school segregation.
There are small differences
between school scores and
there is low segregation.
TESTSCORES
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
SCHOOL A SCHOOL B
Middle Class
Working Class

22. SECONDARY
SCHOOL
DIFFERENCES:
HUNGARY
Hungary is one of the worst
performers with regards to
secondary school segregation.
There are large differences
between school scores plus
there is high segregation.
TESTSCORES
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
SCHOOL A SCHOOL B
Middle Class
Working Class

23. It is not a level
playing field.

24. INEQUALITY
Age of first
selection by
ability
Tracking
(different pathways
between schools)
Streaming
(different pathways
within schools)
Repeating a
grade
School types
(e.g. public-private)
School choice
(e.g. versus most local
school)
POLICIES &
INEQUALITIES
School systems and
policies can reduce or
reinforce inequalities.
The right (or wrong)
policies can make a big
difference.
.

25. STANDARDS & EQUALITY
ONE-DIMENSIONAL APPROACH:
IMPROVE STANDARDS
TWO-DIMENSIONAL APPROACH:
PROMOTE STANDARDS & EQUALITY
Rank Country Proficiency
1 Ireland 90%
2= Canada 89%
2= Estonia 89%
2= Finland 89%
15= Australia 82%
15= UK 82%
15= Latvia 82%
15= Netherlands 82%
24= France 79%
24= Italy 79%
35= Cyprus 64%
35= Malta 64%
37 Romania 61%
38 Bulgaria 59%

26. Aim for high equality
and high standards.

27. THANK YOU
UNICEF-IRC.ORG
@UNICEFINNOCENTI
#UnfairStart