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Education Policy and Equality of Opportunity

Author

Listed:
  • Schütz, Gabriela

    (CESifo)

  • Ursprung, Heinrich W.

    (University of Konstanz)

  • Woessmann, Ludger

    (University of Munich)

Abstract
We provide a measure of equality of educational opportunity in 54 countries, estimated as the effect of family background on student performance in two international TIMSS tests. We then show how organizational features of the education system affect equality of educational opportunity. Our model predicts that late tracking and a long pre-school cycle are beneficial for equality, while pre-school enrollment is detrimental at low levels of enrollment and beneficial at higher levels. Using cross-country variations in education policies and their interaction with family background at the student level, we provide empirical evidence supportive of these predictions.

Suggested Citation

  • Schütz, Gabriela & Ursprung, Heinrich W. & Woessmann, Ludger, 2005. "Education Policy and Equality of Opportunity," IZA Discussion Papers 1906, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp1906
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    tracking; efficiency-equity tradeoff; student performance; family background; educational production; equality of opportunity; pre-school;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J62 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Job, Occupational and Intergenerational Mobility; Promotion
    • H52 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Education

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