EDUCATION AND SOCIAL INEQUALITIES - WHAT ARE THE LINKS?

Understanding Society - Insights 2021

A week of debates: policy in a post-covid world

At a time when longitudinal research holds more importance than ever, join Understanding Society, the largest longitudinal household panel study of its kind, for a week of policy-focused virtual events. How can the recovery from COVID-19, which has exposed multiple strengths and weaknesses in our society and our economy, be innovative and long-lasting amidst the backdrop of Brexit? From financial resilience to the future of work, and from healthcare to education, each event will promote a cross-sectoral debate underpinned by our data on a challenging area of policy.

The week kickstarts our 10th anniversary and marks the launch of Insights 2021 – our report highlighting key policy-relevant findings and commentary from the last ten years.

You can sign up for one event or all five – and we look forward to seeing you there.

EDUCATION AND SOCIAL INEQUALITIES – WHAT ARE THE LINKS?

Monday 25 January: 10.00am to 11.15am

Tackling educational inequality has long been a priority across governments, but progress remains painfully slow. COVID-19 has further exposed differences in learning, with the risk that educational inequalities, already highly varied across localities and regions, could leave a marked legacy. How closely is educational attainment, as measured by GSCEs, linked to social inequalities? Are schools the only vehicle to reducing educational inequality or should other types of policy feature more in ‘levelling up’? The Social Mobility Commission estimates that 30% of difference in social mobility between the least and most deprived families in England cannot be accounted for by education. So, what other types of interventions are needed – a better home environment or more study time to boost aspirations or something else? How could linked data better help design and evaluate a wider set of policies?

• Social class inequalities in GCSE attainment

Dr Sarah Stopforth, School of Education and Social Work, University of Sussex

• Parenting and young people – aspirations and wellbeing

Dr Dimitra Hartas, Centre for Education Studies, University of Warwick

• Policy Perspective

Jo Hutchinson, Director for Social Mobility and Vulnerable Learners, Education Policy Institute