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University access for disadvantaged children: a comparison across countries

In this paper, [the authors] consider whether certain countries are particularly adept (or particularly poor) at ge ... Show more
In this paper, [the authors] consider whether certain countries are particularly adept (or particularly poor) at getting children from disadvantaged homes to study for a bachelor's degree. A series of university access models are estimated for four English-speaking countries (England, Canada, Australia and the USA), which include controls for comparable measures of academic achievement at age 15. [The authors'] results suggest that socioeconomic differences in university access are more pronounced in England and Canada than Australia and the USA and that cross-national variation in the socioeconomic gap remains even once differences in academic achievement [are taken account of]. [The authors] discuss the implications of [their] findings for the creation of more socially mobile societies.
Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

Authors: Jerrim, John; Vignoles, Anna

Date: 2015

Geographic subjects: England; Great Britain; Europe ... [+] Show more

Resource type: Article

Journal title: Higher education

Subjects: Equity; Disadvantaged; Higher education ... [+] Show more
Family background and access to 'high status' universities

Economic inequality is high and rising in a number of developed countries, including in the United Kingdom and the ... Show more
Economic inequality is high and rising in a number of developed countries, including in the United Kingdom and the United States. There are growing concerns that this may have negative implications for equality of opportunity, and the extent to which social (dis)advantage is transmitted across generations. It is widely believed that providing greater educational opportunities to disadvantaged children may help limit the impact of this. Being able to access high quality education is thought to be a particularly important determinant of later economic success. Yet young people from disadvantaged backgrounds remain significantly underrepresented in the undergraduate population.
This research briefing considers a number of factors related to the socioeconomic gap in access to 'high status' institutions in the United Kingdom and the United States.
Excerpts from publication. Show less

Authors: Jerrim, John

Date: 2013

Geographic subjects: United States; North America; Great Britain ... [+] Show more

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Subjects: Higher education; Equity; Disadvantaged ... [+] Show more
University access for disadvantaged children: a comparison across English speaking countries

In this paper we consider whether certain countries are particularly adept (or particularly poor) at getting childr ... Show more
In this paper we consider whether certain countries are particularly adept (or particularly poor) at getting children from disadvantaged homes to study for a bachelor’s degree. A series of university access models are estimated for four English speaking countries (England, Canada, Australia and the United States) which include controls for comparable measures of academic achievement at age 15. We not only consider access to any university but also admission to a ‘selective’ institution. Our results suggest that socio-economic differences in university access are more pronounced in England and Canada than Australia and the United States, and that cross-national variation in the socio-economic gap remains even once we take account of differences in academic achievement. We discuss the implications of our findings for the creation of more socially mobile societies.
Published abstract. Show less

Authors: Jerrim, John; Vignoles, Anna; Finnie, Ross

Date: 2012

Geographic subjects: England; Great Britain; Europe ... [+] Show more

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Series name: DoQSS working paper

Subjects: Higher education; Equity; Research ... [+] Show more
Income inequality, intergenerational mobility and the Great Gatsby Curve: is education the key?

It is widely believed that countries with greater levels of income inequality also have lower levels of intergenera ... Show more
It is widely believed that countries with greater levels of income inequality also have lower levels of intergenerational mobility. This relationship, known as the Great Gatsby Curve (GGC), has been prominently cited by high-ranking public policy makers, best-selling authors and Nobel Prize winning academics. Yet relatively little cross-national work has empirically examined the mechanisms thought to underpin the GGC - particularly with regards to the role of educational attainment. This paper uses the cross-nationally comparable Programme for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) dataset to shed new light on this issue. [The authors] find that income inequality is associated with several key components of the intergenerational transmission process - including access to higher education, the financial returns to education, and the direct effect of parental education upon labour market earnings. Thus, consistent with theoretical models, [the authors] find that educational attainment is an important driver of the relationship between intergenerational mobility and income inequality. [They] hence conclude that unequal access to financial resources plays a central role in the intergenerational transmission of advantage.
Published abstract. Show less

Authors: Jerrim, John; Macmillan, Lindsey

Date: 2014

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Series name: Working paper (University of London. Institute of Education)

Subjects: Equity; Income; Students ... [+] Show more
The socio-economic gradient in teenagers’ reading skills: how does England compare with other countries?

A number of studies have explored the link between family background and children’s achievement in a cross-national ... Show more
A number of studies have explored the link between family background and children’s achievement in a cross-national context. A common finding is that there is a stronger association in England than in other parts of the developed world. Rather less attention has been paid, however, to England’s comparative position at different points of the achievement distribution. Is the test score gap particularly big between the most able children from advantaged and disadvantaged homes, or are differences particularly pronounced between low achievers? This issue is investigated using the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2009 data set. The association between family background and high achievement is found to be stronger in England than in most other developed countries, and there is little evidence that this has changed over time. However, socio-economic differences at the bottom of the achievement distribution are no more pronounced in England than elsewhere. I discuss the implications of these findings for social mobility and educational policy in the UK.
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Authors: Jerrim, John

Date: 2012

Geographic subjects: Europe; Great Britain; England ... [+] Show more

Resource type: Article

Journal title: Fiscal studies

Subjects: Students; Literacy; Outcomes ... [+] Show more
The link between family background and later lifetime income: how does the UK compare to other countries?

The link between family background and labour market outcomes is an issue of great academic, social and political c ... Show more
The link between family background and labour market outcomes is an issue of great academic, social and political concern. It is frequently claimed that such intergenerational associations are stronger in Britain than other countries. But is this really true? [The author investigates] this issue by estimating the link between parental education and later lifetime income, using three cross-nationally comparable datasets covering more than 30 countries. [The author's] results suggest that the UK is broadly in the middle of the cross-country rankings, with intergenerational associations notably stronger than in Scandinavia but weaker than in Eastern Europe. Overall, [the author finds] only limited support for claims that family background is a greater barrier to economic success in Britain than other parts of the developed world.
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Authors: Jerrim, John

Date: 2014

Geographic subjects: Europe

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Series name: Working paper (University of London. Institute of Education)

Subjects: Equity; Income; Culture and society ... [+] Show more
Policy brief: using digital credentials to keep the promises of TVET

Today, opportunities abound for greater use of technology in assessment and credentialing to enhance the impact of ... Show more
Today, opportunities abound for greater use of technology in assessment and credentialing to enhance the impact of [technical and vocational education and training] TVET on economic and social development programmes. In the past, it has often been observed that the impact of TVET on social and economic measures was impaired by complexities and costs, especially in projects that had not utilized technology. Nowadays, there is even scepticism towards TVET's track record. So, the case for it needs to be remade, but this time showing how assessment and credentialing technologies can eliminate impairments and magnify impact.
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Authors: Dawe, Mike; Miller, Timothy; Diop, Omar; Joshi, Manish

Date: 2020

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Subjects: Vocational education and training; Qualifications; Assessment ... [+] Show more

University access for disadvantaged children: a comparison across countries

Family background and access to 'high status' universities

University access for disadvantaged children: a comparison across English speaking countries

Income inequality, intergenerational mobility and the Great Gatsby Curve: is education the key?

The socio-economic gradient in teenagers’ reading skills: how does England compare with other countries?

The link between family background and later lifetime income: how does the UK compare to other countries?

Policy brief: using digital credentials to keep the promises of TVET