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Equity in the Swiss Education System


File number :
CS-ISC-26e

Bibliographic reference :

Vellacott, M.C., & Wolter, S.C. (2005). L’égalité des chances dans le système éducatif suisse. Trends Report of the Swiss Coordination Centre for Educational Research, Issue 9.
<http://www.skbf-csre.ch/>
Consulté le 1 juin 2006



Abstract :

This research report, drawn up as part of the Equity in Education project managed by the OECD, provides a description of the equity situation in the Swiss school system.

Divided into four sections, this report presents the current debate on equity, research related to this issue, the probable causes of inequalities, and deficiencies in educational equity and their consequences. Lastly, the authors of the report looked at the various types of policies that could have an impact on equity, including educational policies.

Background
In the first section, the authors describe the general political, economic and social context in Switzerland. The structure of the Swiss education system is also outlined. It was found that Switzerland invests more than the mean of other countries in education. This is followed by a discussion on the current debate on equal opportunities in education, which mainly involves the integration and assimilation difficulties of immigrants.

Stock-taking and Outcomes of Inequality
The second section is dedicated to evaluating equity at each educational level with reference to three variables: 1) socio-economic level 2) immigrant status and 3) gender.

The lack of equity is assessed based on three criteria: access to various educational tracks and grade levels, performance within these tracks and levels, and lastly, the chances of finding employment.

In this section, the authors also present several research findings for the three studied social groups (disadvantaged socio-economic groups, immigrants, and female versus male students) to paint a portrait of equity in each group in order to make a better assessment.

Causes of Inequalities
The third section outlines the causes of inequality and provides explanations in order to better understand each groups’ specific situation. Among immigrant students, inequalities often stem from the fact that they are fewer in number in preschool and end up in special or developmental classes as soon as they enter primary school.

Among underprivileged students, inequalities are often the result of poorer academic performance at the primary level, which in turn has an impact on the educational tracks they are compelled to select. Certain barriers (e.g. institutional and financial) that must be overcome by the groups are also pointed out.

Policy Measures
Lastly, the fourth section deals with policies, programs and initiatives created by the federal government and cantons with a view to promoting equity. These measures are presented for each of the three groups studied and some of their outcomes are discussed.

Conclusion
The authors’ conclusions with regard to equal opportunities in the Swiss school system are threefold: 1) there are inequalities in the three groups studied, 2) there are inequalities at all levels of the school system and 3) these marked inequalities highlight the extent of the problem and the lack of progress to offset it, despite efforts made in this area.

Furthermore, they not only point out that there is no real political concept of equity, but also report that efforts put forth to promote equal opportunities in education tend to be piecemeal rather than strategically guided. 

According to the authors, increased awareness of the goals and values of equity among educators, society and policy-makers would help in addressing properly the problems outlined above.



Links :
http://www.skbf-csre.ch/

Key Words :
Equal Opportunities, Equity, Immigrants, Ethnicity, Socio-economic Status, Social Inequalities, Gender, Education Research, Educational Policies, Equity Criteria, Consequences of Inequality, Causes of Inequality, Newsletter2

Monitored Countries :
Switzerland