Abstract

This session uses evidence from England (and UK), Spain (and EU), Brazil and Pakistan. These four countries have different educational, economic and political contexts (some do not even have universal schooling). Even similar-sounding initiatives intended to reduce segregation in different countries, such as the use of lotteries, are implemented differently and so lead to different outcomes. Nevertheless, our research has suggested similar levels and predictors of school segregation in each. With the help of the discussant and audience, this symposium will untangle the global and local determinants of school segregation, in the context both where parents can choose to send their children to school or not, and in the different versions of school choice and diversity in each country.

Session summary

All of the studies presented in this symposium are based on large-scale and rich datasets, often over ten years or more, covering national, state or municipal schools – both private and state-funded. Our main concern across the countries is to untangle the impacts of the various determinants of socio-economic segregation between schools, including residential segregation, education policies, economic cycles, school allocation procedures, school diversity, and family background. We are also concerned with the effect of such segregation, if it exists, on student attainment and wider outcomes such as sense of cohesive society. Other issues covered include screening or selecting by ability/aptitude at an early age, faith-based education in Pakistan and England, the role of the private sector, the use of school ‘shifts’, and the impact on children of not going to school at all.

Objectives: School choice in a state-governed education system is a contested phenomenon across these four countries. The targets and challenges to allowing children fair access to schools are varied, and at some points very different indeed, across our chosen contexts and regions. However, the patterns of poverty and access that determine school segregation are quite similar across these varied educational settings. In this symposium, we will present the kinds of segregation that exists across the countries and impact of state-policies that have overcome or reinforced the patterns and importance of school segregation.

Scholarly or scientific significance: The school mix has been clearly and internationally linked to a wide range of possible educational outcomes – including occupational aspiration, civic participation, widening participation, and well-being. Overcoming school segregation is therefore an important agenda for interested parties in all countries. There are examples where policies and interventions have been implemented to make school access fairer for all. However, the initiatives could be in conflict with raising school performance, enrolment, retention, and overall attainment agendas. The symposium will present examples of such initiatives and their outcomes. The findings presented here are evidence-based and are relevant for global initiatives, policy makers, school leads, and education researchers.

Structure: We will open the symposium with a very brief introduction which will lead to four papers from different countries worldwide – with questions of fact and clarifications only. Then the discussant will draw out the key themes, differences and similarities, and open the symposium up to wider discussion with the audience. It will be important to preserve ample time for this discussion.

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