Abstract:
The OECD plays a well-documented role in shaping global debates about the future of education, with equity evolving as a central theme. PISA results have consistently shown that the highest performing education systems have both high-equity and high-quality. The OECD's positions on equity in education have had varying impacts on education policies around the world, encouraging many jurisdictions to prioritise equity as a main goal for their education systems (Varsik, 2022).
What equity in education means and how to enhance it is understood in different ways in different countries, even amongst people in the same system (Cairney & Kippin, 2022; Sahlberg & Cobbold, 2021). Scotland and South Australia are both currently paying increased attention to what educational equity means and how it could be better addressed in their systems in the future.
This paper examines, through qualitative and document analysis, how policy and policy actors in Scotland and South Australia have interpreted and translated the OECD’s articulation and advice regarding equity in education, particularly in relation to the future of schooling, into their strategic policy initiatives. This examination provides insights into the global and local dynamics of educational equity, highlighting the practical implications for policy and practice in striving towards more equitable education systems.
What equity in education means and how to enhance it is understood in different ways in different countries, even amongst people in the same system (Cairney & Kippin, 2022; Sahlberg & Cobbold, 2021). Scotland and South Australia are both currently paying increased attention to what educational equity means and how it could be better addressed in their systems in the future.
This paper examines, through qualitative and document analysis, how policy and policy actors in Scotland and South Australia have interpreted and translated the OECD’s articulation and advice regarding equity in education, particularly in relation to the future of schooling, into their strategic policy initiatives. This examination provides insights into the global and local dynamics of educational equity, highlighting the practical implications for policy and practice in striving towards more equitable education systems.