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Can educational programmes address social inequity? Some examples from Europe

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Educational Research for Social Justice

Part of the book series: Education Science, Evidence, and the Public Good ((EDUS,volume 1))

Abstract

What are the characteristics of educational intervention programmes that appear more successful in attempting to address social inequalities? This chapter reflects on the conclusions and recommendations of a study made by a seven-country team that in 2006–2009 investigated policies relating to different kinds of inequality and disadvantage in 14 states, locating them within the educational cultures, structures and policy discourses in each state. This chapter examines changes over the last decade in four particular areas: socioeconomic disadvantage, gender, migration and ethnicity, together with the intersectionalities between these. We then review changes in the policy discourse in three of these states: Greece, Sweden and the United Kingdom. We identify particular organisational approaches and perspectives that appear to correlate with more positive and lasting outcomes. This chapter offers some significant analysis of what might be understood by ‘the public good’ with reference to educational policies, and prioritises equity over efficiencies.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The original project team was drawn from seven Universities. London Metropolitan University (Institute for Policy Studies in Education [IPSE]): Alistair Ross (Project Coordinator and UK Team leader), Carole Leathwood, Sarah Minty, Marie-Pierre Moreau, Nicola Rollock, Katya Williams (researchers), Andrew Craven, Robin Driscoll, Nathan Fretwell (project administration). Katholieke Hogeschool Zuid-West-Vlaanderen (Belgium): Hugo Verkest (BE Team leader), Evelien Geurts, Bie Lambrechts, Andries Termote. Univerzita Hradec Králové (Czech Republic): Pavel Vacek (CZ Team leader), Daniela Vrabcova, Jan Lašek, Michaela Pišová. Montpellier Université III Paul Valéry (France): Richard Étienne (FR Team leader), Bénédicte Gendron, Chantal Étienne, Pascal Tozzi. Panepistimio Patron/ Πανεπιστήμιο Πατρών (Greece): Julia Spinthourakis (GR Team leader), Eleni Karatzia-Stavlioti, Georgia-Eleni Lempesi, Ioanna Papadimitriou, Chrysovalante Giannaka. Universitat Autònoma Barcelona (Spain): Melinda Dooly (ES Team leader), Claudia Vallejo, Miquel Essomba, Virginia Unamuno, Ferran Ferrer. Malmö högskola (Sweden): Nanny Hartsmar (SE Team leader), Margareta Cederberg, Svante Lingärde, Jan Nilsson.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education and Society, Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden

    Nanny Hartsmar

  2. London Metropolitan University, London, UK

    Carole Leathwood

  3. School of Social Studies, London Metropolitan University, London, UK

    Alistair Ross

  4. Department of Education and Social Work, University of Patras, Patras, Greece

    Julia Spinthourakis

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  1. Nanny Hartsmar
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  2. Carole Leathwood
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  3. Alistair Ross
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  4. Julia Spinthourakis
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Correspondence to Carole Leathwood .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Studies, London Metropolitan University, London, UK

    Alistair Ross

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Hartsmar, N., Leathwood, C., Ross, A., Spinthourakis, J. (2021). Can educational programmes address social inequity? Some examples from Europe. In: Ross, A. (eds) Educational Research for Social Justice . Education Science, Evidence, and the Public Good, vol 1. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62572-6_13

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