Educational Policies and Inequalities in Europe

This book analyzes policies in eight European countries that aim to intervene in the reproduction of social and educational inequalities. In order to understand why some policies succeed and others fail, it is necessary to look at education systems through cross-national comparison. This book makes an important contribution to understanding why strategies designed to reduce inequalities in education do not appear to work. In order to understand why some education policies succeed and others fail, it is necessary to look at education provision in terms of systems -- and the best way of understanding the characteristics of any one system is through comparison with others. Analyzing polices in eight European countries that aim to intervene in the reproduction of social and educational inequalities, this book enriches our understanding of the limits and possibilities of educational reform and provides an important step in interrupting some of the patterns of social disadvantage and educational failure.