- Department of Sociology
Edifici E, Campus UAB
08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona) - +34 935814654
Xavier BONAL
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Sociology, Faculty Member
- University of Amsterdam, Gpio/ Aissr, Faculty Memberadd
- Global education, New Public Management and Governance, World Bank, Elites (Political Science), Latin America (Comparative Politics), Stephen J Ball, and 11 moreSociologia Educación, Education Reform, Education Policy, International Aid and Development, International Education, Educational Development, Comparative Education, Politics Of Education, Globalization and education, Globalisation and Development, and Political Sociologyedit
- Xavier Bonal is Professor of Sociology at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and Special Professor of Educat... moreXavier Bonal is Professor of Sociology at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and Special Professor of Education and International Development at the University of Amsterdam (UvA). He is the director of the research group Globalisation, Education and Social Policies (GEPS) at the UAB and Coordinator of the GLOBED Project, an Erasmus Mundus Master on Education Policies for Global Development. He has been member of the EU Network of Experts in Social Sciences and Education (NESSE) and is member of the Editorial Board of several international journals of education policies and educational development. Professor Bonal has widely published in national and international journals and is the author of several books on sociology of education, education policy and globalisation, education and development. He has worked as a consultant for international organisations such as UNESCO, UNICEF, the European Commission, and the Council of Europe.edit
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The middle-classes use school choice as a strategy of class reproduction and comparative advantage. In this article, we show how middle-class parental school choice strategies are spatially dependent and how schooling preferences and... more
The middle-classes use school choice as a strategy of class reproduction and comparative advantage. In this article, we show how middle-class parental school choice strategies are spatially dependent and how schooling preferences and final choices are bounded by the social and educational characteristics of the local education market of their neighborhood of residence in the city of Barcelona. Our findings reveal interesting differences relating to the search process and final decisions, which are dependent on parental preferences and risk perception in the different local education markets. Reflections on some policy implications of the analysis are considered in the conclusions.
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In this chapter we situate school segregation as an increasingly relevant eld of study within educational policy. In the introduction we map the origins of the study of segregation and its unbalanced development in the USA, Europe and... more
In this chapter we situate school segregation as an increasingly relevant eld of study within educational policy. In the introduction we map the origins of the study of segregation and its unbalanced development in the USA, Europe and Latin America, showing how the trends of change in contemporary society have repositioned the importance and interest in school segregation. In the second section we synthesize the social mechanisms that generate school segregation, considering both external and internal factors within the educational eld. Next, we describe and discuss the evidence on public policies that have sought to prevent, contain or reduce segregation, distinguishing those implemented in traditional educational contexts from those applied in educational systems oriented by market dynamics. Finally, we re ect on the reasons why school desegregation policies have been given low priority, despite the enormous amount of evidence on their adverse effects. We identify signi cant political, cultural and institutional limits that hinder desegregation policies, particularly their potential for social and political con ict, which tends to dissuade public authorities from giving them the priority that this policy deserves.
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The geography of school choice critically shapes families’ educational opportunities. Residential segregation, social inequalities and the educational marketplace interact in complex ways and produce spatialised educational opportunities... more
The geography of school choice critically shapes families’ educational opportunities. Residential segregation, social inequalities and the educational marketplace interact in complex ways and produce spatialised educational opportunities for families. This paper analyses the link between these dimensions and how they structure families’ educational
opportunities in the city of Madrid. Based on several administrative datasets that capture students’ residential location, their socio-economic position, the schools they attend and the characteristics of school supply, our analysis reveals the uneven spatial distribution of the different school modalities in Madrid, where advantaged families and neighbourhoods have more diversified and socio-economically homogenous nearby schooling options. The results also depict the way the city is spatially divided along a
continuum of ‘privileged’ residential and educational assets. The paper reflects on how reforms expanding school choice and diversification of the educational market undertaken by the regional government may have increased the link between residential and school segregation.
opportunities in the city of Madrid. Based on several administrative datasets that capture students’ residential location, their socio-economic position, the schools they attend and the characteristics of school supply, our analysis reveals the uneven spatial distribution of the different school modalities in Madrid, where advantaged families and neighbourhoods have more diversified and socio-economically homogenous nearby schooling options. The results also depict the way the city is spatially divided along a
continuum of ‘privileged’ residential and educational assets. The paper reflects on how reforms expanding school choice and diversification of the educational market undertaken by the regional government may have increased the link between residential and school segregation.
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The spatial, institutional and social configurations of school supply and demand are crucial aspects in understanding the various mechanisms of production and reproduction of socio-spatial inequalities in education. The same policy... more
The spatial, institutional and social configurations of school supply and demand are crucial aspects in understanding the various mechanisms of production and reproduction of socio-spatial inequalities in education. The same policy instruments may have different effects depending on the characteristics of local education markets and the dynamics of supply and demand in each of them. This article investigates how a policy designed to reduce school segregation in the city of Barcelona resulted in uneven effects in different catchment areas of the city, which are socially and educationally diverse. By comparing the effects of the same policy strategy in different territories, the article identifies four mechanisms that mediate and occasionally prevent the effectiveness of the policy instruments or their implementation procedures. Identifying these mechanisms is an important and necessary task when reviewing the existing policy design and adapting it to the particularities of local education markets.
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Federal and highly decentralized political systems open different spaces to interpret, adapt, and enact international policy trends and ideas within the same territory. Spain, a country with a highly decentralized educational system and... more
Federal and highly decentralized political systems open different spaces to interpret, adapt, and enact international policy trends and ideas within the same territory. Spain, a country with a highly decentralized educational system and contentious territorial politics, is a very suitable case to analyze these dynamics. Spain and its different regions have not been immune to the influence of global policy ideas that gear around promoting private provision, school choice, and New Public Management (NPM) in education. However, the consolidation of the decentralization project, together with the fact that many regional governments have aimed to construct, for a variety of reasons, singular political profiles, have resulted in markedly different policy trajectories. To show this, this article pays particular attention to recent changes in the educational governance arrangements of two important Spanish regions, Madrid and Catalonia, as they have gone through differentiated processes of educational reform. Albeit the two regional education systems share
important features (such as a historical and wide-scale public-private partnership for school provision), they have engaged with, combined, and mobilized exogenous and endogenous privatization policy ideas in remarkably different ways. The article delves into the political drivers behind this policy differentiation process by paying special attention to the relations of coordination, conflict, and competition that prevail within an incomplete federal system, such as the Spanish one.
important features (such as a historical and wide-scale public-private partnership for school provision), they have engaged with, combined, and mobilized exogenous and endogenous privatization policy ideas in remarkably different ways. The article delves into the political drivers behind this policy differentiation process by paying special attention to the relations of coordination, conflict, and competition that prevail within an incomplete federal system, such as the Spanish one.
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Resumen El cierre escolar producido por la pandemia de Covid-19 convirtió el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje en una práctica a distancia, fundamentada principalmente en el uso de intensivo tecnologías de comunicación. A partir del... more
Resumen El cierre escolar producido por la pandemia de Covid-19 convirtió el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje en una práctica a distancia, fundamentada principalmente en el uso de intensivo tecnologías de comunicación. A partir del análisis de los resultados de una encuesta online realizada en marzo de 2020 a más de 35.000 familias con hijos e hijas entre los 3 y los 18 años, este artículo explora las consecuencias de la brecha digital en las oportunidades de aprendizaje de los estudiantes durante el confinamiento. El análisis subraya la interacción de la brecha digital con otros aspectos educativos-distinta respuesta escolar-y sociales-distintas posibilidades de apoyo familiar al estudio-. La brecha digital, en sus diversas acepciones, las condiciones de confinamiento y el desigual capital cultural familiar generaron oportunidades de aprendizaje desiguales entre el alumnado. Las conclusiones señalan las lecciones aprendidas de esta experiencia para garantizar la igualdad de oportunidades educativas en contextos de educación no presencial.
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The World Bank has been one of the most important actors influencing global education development policies in the past decades. Beyond its role as an international lender, the World Bank has long enjoyed a dominant position in the... more
The World Bank has been one of the most important actors influencing global education development policies in the past decades. Beyond its role as an international lender, the World Bank has long enjoyed a dominant position in the definition of the global education agenda. This entry provides a historical analysis of the World Bank's development in the education sector. The analysis has been divided into three main periods that characterize how the education sector priorities and strategies of the World Bank have evolved since the sixties. For each period identified, the article also examines how internal and external factors have influenced the position of this organization in education.
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Open enrolment policies assume that students living in disadvantaged areas can access better schools outside their neighbourhood. However, characteristics of individuals, quality of schooling and neighbourhood characteristics interact in... more
Open enrolment policies assume that students living in disadvantaged areas can access better schools outside their neighbourhood. However, characteristics of individuals, quality of schooling and neighbourhood characteristics interact in very complex ways to produce heterogeneous patterns of school choice in local educa-Popul. Space Place.
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The global expansion of non-state actors as providers of basic education has frequently taken place under the umbrella of some form of public-private partnership (PPP). PPPs have expanded despite an increasing number of studies warning... more
The global expansion of non-state actors as providers of basic education has frequently taken place under the umbrella of some form of public-private partnership (PPP). PPPs have expanded despite an increasing number of studies warning about the possible negative consequences of higher levels of private provision on equity, such as school segregation and students selection practices. As a response to these equity concerns, different actors have engaged in an intense debate on the pros and cons of PPPs and, specifically, how the governance of private subsidized schooling can be put at the service of the right to education. A growing consensus has emerged around the idea that the ultimate impact of PPPs depends largely on the specifics of their policy design. As a result of this debate, several international organizations call to adopt regulatory frameworks that could contribute to inhibit both school segmentation and opportunistic behaviors in the context of PPPs.
Despite the centrality of regulation and accountability efforts in the debate around PPPs in basic education, the different policy options and instruments available for such purposes have been less systematically examined. The first objective of this paper is to identify the main regulatory and accountability dimensions involved in the governance of private subsidized schools, as well as the main policy designs available for each of these dimensions to promote equity in education. On this basis, the paper examines how different PPP regulatory dimensions can affect educational equity. The evidence presented is based on a review of the available literature on the relationship between PPPs and education equity in education systems with a significant presence of publicly funded private schools. Finally, the paper systematizes the main lessons drawn from the literature reviewed regarding the regulation of private subsidized schools in the context of PPPs.
Despite the centrality of regulation and accountability efforts in the debate around PPPs in basic education, the different policy options and instruments available for such purposes have been less systematically examined. The first objective of this paper is to identify the main regulatory and accountability dimensions involved in the governance of private subsidized schools, as well as the main policy designs available for each of these dimensions to promote equity in education. On this basis, the paper examines how different PPP regulatory dimensions can affect educational equity. The evidence presented is based on a review of the available literature on the relationship between PPPs and education equity in education systems with a significant presence of publicly funded private schools. Finally, the paper systematizes the main lessons drawn from the literature reviewed regarding the regulation of private subsidized schools in the context of PPPs.
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The increase in social inequality and the new forms of exclusion and expulsion in cities are increasingly forcing public care policies to be based on the ethics of care. The forms of social isolation and poverty and the attention to the... more
The increase in social inequality and the new forms of exclusion and expulsion in cities are increasingly forcing public care policies to be based on the ethics of care. The forms of social isolation and poverty and the attention to the multiple needs of the reproduction of life call for a policy based on a paradigm that prioritises welfare and sustainability. Local governments play a key role in this field, due to their strategic position of proximity and knowledge of community needs. In this challenge, citizenship education is a cornerstone of the development of a strategy that fosters care and prevents social isolation while educating future generations in
new values and priorities in order to guarantee social equity. This report identifies five challenges for local political action which use education to respond to the needs derived from the inequality and social fragmentation that characterise 21st-century cities. It concludes with a set of recommendations arising from the reflections made for each of the five challenges.
new values and priorities in order to guarantee social equity. This report identifies five challenges for local political action which use education to respond to the needs derived from the inequality and social fragmentation that characterise 21st-century cities. It concludes with a set of recommendations arising from the reflections made for each of the five challenges.
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This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial... more
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
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Existing quantitative studies use various measurements and methods to examine Bourdieu's theory of cultural reproduction in the field of education. Yet, most studies either misunderstand the concepts involved or only test part of the... more
Existing quantitative studies use various measurements and methods to examine Bourdieu's theory of cultural reproduction in the field of education. Yet, most studies either misunderstand the concepts involved or only test part of the theory. This article addresses these gaps by using the 'structure-disposition-practice' (SDP) framework to develop an integral model of cultural reproduction and it constructs a more precise measurement of habitus. It aims to provide an in-depth empirical understanding of the interrelationships between social position, parents' and students' dispositions, practices and field. Using the Chinese Educational Panel Survey (CEPS) the authors apply a structural equation model (SEM) to test their theoretical framework. They compare the cultural reproduction processes for cognitive development and academic achievements of eighthgrade students. The results suggest parents' and students' habitus plays a more crucial role than family's social position in the cultural reproduction process. The study also finds that families' social position is more important in reproducing students' cognitive development than in academic achievements in China. The findings provide a quantitative understanding of the cultural reproduction process with relational thinking.
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Resumen El cierre de escuelas en Cataluña para contener los efectos de la COVID-19 obligó a los centros educativos y las familias a reaccionar en poco tiempo y sin planificación previa ante un nuevo escenario de enseñanza. Este artículo... more
Resumen El cierre de escuelas en Cataluña para contener los efectos de la COVID-19 obligó a los centros educativos y las familias a reaccionar en poco tiempo y sin planificación previa ante un nuevo escenario de enseñanza. Este artículo evalúa el impacto del cierre escolar sobre la desigualdad de aprendizaje entre niños de diferentes contextos sociales en Cataluña. A partir de los datos de una encuesta en línea realizada entre el 26 y el 30 de marzo (n = 35.419) a familias con hijos entre 3 y 18 años, nuestro análisis muestra que las oportunidades de aprendizaje varían signi-ficativamente en función de las características del alumnado. Durante el confinamiento, algunas escuelas consiguieron adaptarse a las nuevas circunstancias con mejores medios que otras. De igual forma, el capital socioeconómico y cultural de las familias explica que la clase media pudiera mantener estándares más altos de calidad educativa, mientras que aquellas familias socialmente desfavorecidas mostraban una menor exposición a las oportunidades de aprendizaje, tanto en tiempo como en experiencias (tareas escolares y actividades extracurriculares). En la parte final del artículo, destacamos la importancia del papel de la escuela para garantizar oportunidades de aprendizaje para los niños de bajos niveles socioeconómicos y discutimos algunas de las implicaciones políticas de nuestros resultados. Palabras clave Desigualdad educativa, desigualdad acumulativa, brecha digital, cierre escolar, actividades extraescolares, educación informal. Abstract The lockdown of schools in Catalonia to confront the effects of COVID-19 forced schools and families to react very rapidly to a new scenario of teaching and learning processes without previous planning. This paper assesses the impact of the school lockdown on the learning gap between children from different social backgrounds in Catalonia. Based on data from an online survey (n= 35.419) to families with children aged 3 to 18 years old carried out between 26 and 30 of March, our analysis shows that learning opportunities among children vary significantly between children with different characteristics. During the lockdown, some schools were able to adapt to the new circumstances with better means than others. Likewise, the structure and size of families' forms of capital explain that middle-class families were able to maintain higher standards of education quality, while children from socially disadvantaged families had few learning opportunities both in terms of time and learning experiences (schoolwork and maintenance of after-school activities). In the final part of the paper we highlight the importance of the role of the school to ensure learning opportunities for children from low socioeconomic backgrounds and discuss some policy implications of our findings.
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Education markets have spread worldwide over the past few decades. Frequently, the expansion of markets in education is presented by their promoters as a means to improve the opportunities of the most socioeconomically disadvantaged... more
Education markets have spread worldwide over the past few decades. Frequently, the expansion of markets in education is presented by their promoters as a means to improve the opportunities of the most socioeconomically disadvantaged students. However, the evidence available shows that market-oriented policies that enhance competition and choice tend to produce negative effects on equity by boosting school segregation and social stratification among public and private schools. This paper aims to unpack the mechanisms through which market-oriented policies and the involvement of private actors in education can foster the uneven distribution of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. By using a mechanism-based explanation, this paper identifies and describes the functioning of three main mechanisms by which pro-market policies generate school segregation. Finally, the paper addresses the analytical benefits of the mechanism-based approach and reflects on its policy implications regarding market-oriented reforms in education.
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This article explores the relationship between school choice, student mobility and school segregation in Barcelona. The case of Barcelona is particularly interesting because the school admissions policy combines a particular design of... more
This article explores the relationship between school choice, student mobility and school segregation in Barcelona. The case of Barcelona is particularly interesting because the school admissions policy combines a particular design of catchment area with a significant level of choice options. We work on students and school register datasets for the school year 2016-2017 to observe the association between the socioeconomic characteristics of the students and their residential and educational geographical distribution. The article tests whether recent reforms that have undermined the role of residential proximity in admissions policy have impacted on the school segregation of three groups of socially disadvantaged students (foreign students, students entitled to Free School Meals (FSM) and students who are Recipients of Social Allowances (RSA)). We explore different patterns of mobility between socially disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students and the impact of opting out from neighbourhood schools on school segregation. By using a counterfactual approach that compares real enrolment with simulated school enrolment in proximity schools, we provide evidence of a significant reduction of school segregation for all socially disadvantaged students, showing the negative effects of the current high number of school choice options. In addition, our analysis shows that school choice boosts remarkably the inequality between public and private sub-sidised schools. The final section of the article reflects on the implications of our findings for potential reforms in the current definition of catchment areas and the overall school choice policy in Barcelona.
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This book pays tribute to an intellectual giant. The twenty-one succinct chapters comprising the volume, and the variety of scholars who have authored them, are indicative of his intellectual, geographical, and intergenerational reach.... more
This book pays tribute to an intellectual giant. The twenty-one succinct chapters
comprising the volume, and the variety of scholars who have authored them, are
indicative of his intellectual, geographical, and intergenerational reach. These
chapters reflect the towering influence of Roger Dale’s work in fields such as the
Sociology of Education, Globalization and Education Policy Studies, and Comparative
and International Education. While engaging critically with Roger’s intellectual
ideas—and without exception the authors demonstrate the significance of these to
their own theoretical and research endeavors—they also include personal reflections
on his role as mentor, role model, networker, and friend. Together the chapters
are testimony to the richness, quality, and diversity of Roger Dale’s work and the
extent to which it has inspired several generations of scholars from very different
world locations. In a final chapter, Roger Dale himself responds from his usual humble
position to all contributors and reviews the key aspects of an exceptional and
ongoing intellectual journey.
comprising the volume, and the variety of scholars who have authored them, are
indicative of his intellectual, geographical, and intergenerational reach. These
chapters reflect the towering influence of Roger Dale’s work in fields such as the
Sociology of Education, Globalization and Education Policy Studies, and Comparative
and International Education. While engaging critically with Roger’s intellectual
ideas—and without exception the authors demonstrate the significance of these to
their own theoretical and research endeavors—they also include personal reflections
on his role as mentor, role model, networker, and friend. Together the chapters
are testimony to the richness, quality, and diversity of Roger Dale’s work and the
extent to which it has inspired several generations of scholars from very different
world locations. In a final chapter, Roger Dale himself responds from his usual humble
position to all contributors and reviews the key aspects of an exceptional and
ongoing intellectual journey.
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Este artículo analiza la relación entre elección de escuela, movilidad y segregación escolar del alumnado socialmente desfavorecido en Barcelona. Las particularidades del modelo de zonificación escolar de la ciudad, basado en un complejo... more
Este artículo analiza la relación entre elección de escuela, movilidad y segregación escolar del alumnado socialmente desfavorecido en Barcelona. Las particularidades del modelo de zonificación escolar de la ciudad, basado en un complejo sistema de elección restringida pero que otorga un amplio número de opciones de proximidad, lo convierten en un caso único en el que observar la relaciones entre movilidad y desigualdades educativas. A partir de datos de residencia y escolarización del alumnado de educación infantil y primaria el trabajo nos muestra cómo la interacción entre segregación residencial y pautas de movilidad del alumnado es generadora de mayor segregación escolar del alumnado vulnerable, tanto de nivel socioeconómico bajo como de nacionalidad extranjera. Un análisis contrafactual que simula modelos de escolarización basados en mayor proximidad demuestra que la segregación escolar del alumnado vulnerable se reduciría hasta un 50% en escenarios de menor movilidad y mayor escolarización de proximidad. Asimismo, estos escenarios reducirían la desigualdad de escolarización entre escuelas públicas y concertadas. El artículo concluye con una reflexión sobre las implicaciones políticas del análisis. Descriptores: Elección escolar; Segregación escolar; Movilidad; Barcelona; Desigualdad educativa. This article analyzes the relationship between school choice, mobility and school segregation of socially disadvantaged students in Barcelona. The particularities of the city's zoning system and catchment areas, based on a complex model of restricted choice with a wide number of proximity options, make it a unique case to observe the relationship between mobility and educational inequalities. By using data on students' residence and schooling of children in preschool and primary education, the article shows how the interaction between residential segregation and patterns of student mobility generates greater school segregation of both students from low socioeconomic status and foreign students. A counterfactual analysis that simulates schooling models based on greater proximity shows that the school segregation of vulnerable students would be reduced by up to 50% in scenarios of less mobility and greater proximity schooling. Likewise, these scenarios would reduce the inequality of schooling between public and private schools. The article concludes with some reflections on the political implications of the analysis.
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The lockdown of schools in Spain to confront the effects of COVID-19 caused an enormous impact at both societal and educational levels. Schools and families had to react rapidly to a new teaching and learning scenario without the benefit... more
The lockdown of schools in Spain to confront the effects of COVID-19 caused an enormous impact at both societal and educational levels. Schools and families had to react rapidly to a new teaching and learning scenario without the benefit of previous planning or government guidelines. In this context, some schools were better able to adapt to the new circumstances than others. Likewise, the structure and size of fam-ilies' economic, social and cultural capital produced significant differences in the learning opportunities for children from different backgrounds. This article assesses the impact of the school lockdown on the learning gap between children from different social backgrounds in Catalonia. Based on 35,419 responses to an online survey administered between 26 and 30 March 2020 to families with children aged between 3 and 18, the authors' analysis shows that learning opportunities varied significantly. Middle-class families were able to maintain higher standards of education quality in a critical context, while children from socially disadvantaged families had few learning opportunities both in terms of time and learning experiences (schoolwork and maintenance of after-school activities). Results differed by type of school (public/ private) where students were enrolled, family economic, social and cultural capital, and family living conditions. In the final part of the article, the authors highlight the importance of the role of the school in ensuring learning opportunities for children from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and they discuss some policy implications of their findings.
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La segregació residencial, un sistema d’accés a l’escola amb un ampli marge de llibertat d’elecció de centre i l’absència de gratuïtat real del sistema han fer augmentar la segregació escolar a Barcelona. La política educativa ha té... more
La segregació residencial, un sistema d’accés a l’escola
amb un ampli marge de llibertat d’elecció de centre i
l’absència de gratuïtat real del sistema han fer augmentar
la segregació escolar a Barcelona. La política educativa ha
té encara un ampli marge per a reduir-la.
amb un ampli marge de llibertat d’elecció de centre i
l’absència de gratuïtat real del sistema han fer augmentar
la segregació escolar a Barcelona. La política educativa ha
té encara un ampli marge per a reduir-la.
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Este informe analiza la situación de la educación en España con respecto a la equidad. El texto revisa diez ámbitos de desigualdad educativa que son fundamentales para construir un sistema educativo más justo. En cada uno de estos ámbitos... more
Este informe analiza la situación de la educación en España con respecto a la equidad. El texto revisa diez ámbitos de desigualdad educativa que son fundamentales para construir un sistema educativo más justo. En cada uno de estos ámbitos identificamos algunos indicadores que reflejan la falta de equidad, tanto desde un punto de vista territorial como por lo que se refiere a las desigualdades visibles entre grupos sociales (por razón de género, de clase social o de inmigración), aportamos evidencias sobre los posibles factores que la causan y planteamos objetivos y prioridades de política educativa para avanzar hacia la equidad tomando como objetivo el año 2030, coincidente con la agenda de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible de Naciones Unidas.
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Las políticas de equidad en educación no pueden reducirse al terreno de la financiación, pero sin una financiación justa y adecuada la equidad educativa no es posible. En España, la ya escasa financiación pública en educación se ha... more
Las políticas de equidad en educación no pueden reducirse al terreno de la financiación, pero sin una financiación justa y adecuada la equidad educativa no es posible. En España, la ya escasa financiación pública en educación se ha agravado desde la llegada de la crisis económica. Es necesario que los poderes públicos prioricen las políticas claves para la equidad, como la educación infantil, las becas, la lucha contra la segregación escolar y las condiciones de aprendizaje del alumnado más desfavorecido. Los debates acerca de la financiación de la educación suelen encender los ánimos de la comunidad educativa. En España, las posiciones políticas e ideológicas en este terreno han estado marcadas por una historia contemporánea de la educación en la que el sector público ha tenido sobre todo un papel subsidiario en la provisión del servicio. Solamente a partir de la llegada de la democracia, y en particular desde la aprobación de la LODE en 1985, la responsabilidad de los poderes públicos en la provisión y financiación de la educación parece haberse consolidado y ha situado a la educación como uno de los pilares del Estado de Bienestar. En épocas anteriores, la delegación de la provisión educativa en manos del sector privado, y especialmente en la Iglesia católica, alejó a los poderes públicos de la responsabilidad de ofrecer y financiar una educación pública de calidad. Los intentos de reforma educativa progresista en algunos momentos históricos (Institución Libre de Enseñanza, II República), si bien tuvieron un impacto cualitativo indiscutible en los modelos de enseñanza, fueron abortados por regímenes que postergaron la educación pública a una función de control social e ideológico. Este contexto histórico explica en buena medida el hecho de que en España el gasto público educativo esté notablemente por debajo de la media europea (España es el quinto
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This article examines the dynamics of the relationship between residential and school segregation in Barcelona. The analysis explores which educational and non-educational drivers foster the school segregation of foreign students between... more
This article examines the dynamics of the relationship between residential and school segregation in Barcelona. The analysis explores which educational and non-educational drivers foster the school segregation of foreign students between the city’s neighbourhoods. The article also analyses to what extent the particularities of Barcelona’s admissions policy, which combines catchment areas with high levels of school choice, generate specific mechanisms of contextually bound school segregation within the local education market. The results confirm that residential segregation and educational segregation are two interrelated phenomena in Barcelona. In addition, the supply of publicly subsidised private schooling in the neighbourhoods is a main factor driving both educational segregation and isolation, especially in those neighbourhoods with a high concentration of foreign pupils. Based on the results, the article elaborates on the challenges for local education policymaking to address the dynamics of school segregation in urban spaces.
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La reforma educativa de 1990 ha introduH I'atenció a la diversitat en tots els dissenys curriculars. O'acord amb aquest principi, I'escola no ha d'a-rrenglerar tot I'alumnat amb un criteri monolític, sinó que ha d'ensenyar a partir de les... more
La reforma educativa de 1990 ha introduH I'atenció a la diversitat en tots els dissenys curriculars. O'acord amb aquest principi, I'escola no ha d'a-rrenglerar tot I'alumnat amb un criteri monolític, sinó que ha d'ensenyar a partir de les característiques diverses que cada estudiant presenta. Aques-ta proposta sembla evident per al professorat deis cicles infantil i primari, tot i que I'afermament retóric i la practica no coincideixen sempre, peró ha suposat un canvi radical en les condicions laborals deis professionals de I'antic BUP. Aquest professorat ha passat d'unes escoles on I'alumnat ha-via estat préviament classificat en funció del rendiment a unes escoles comprensives que abasten tota mena de nois i de noies fins als setze anys, tant si els seus trets educatius són homogenis com si són diversos; en un sentit molt restringit, peró fon;:a visible, han passat d'unes escoles sense diversitat a unes escoles amb diversitat. Les valoracions pedagógiques d'aquesta situació han obert un debat intens en relació amb les característiques desitjables de les escoles se-cundaries. En aquest article pretenem entrar en la polémica a partir d'una analisi sociológica deis usos reals de la diversitat. Aquesta analisi parteix de la teoria del dispositiu pedagógic de Basil Bernstein (1993, 1996), se-gons la qual el sistema escolar es regeix per una série de regles que pre-nen uns principis d'uns contextos (científics, filosófics, artístics, polítics, etc.) i els tradueixen als termes del context escolar. O'aquesta manera, s'a-faiyona un coneixement escolar amb unes característiques específiques. • Xav'ler Bonal és professor titular de Sodologia de la Universitat Autbnoma de Barcelona. Els seus ambits de recerca són la sociologia de I'educació, I'aplicació de la recerca-acció a la coeducació i la pOlítica educativa. Adrec;:a professional: Dept. de Sociologia. Universitat Autbnoma de Barcelona. Campus de Bellaterra. Edifici B. 08193 eerdanyola del Valles (Barcelona). Adrec;:a electrbnica: xavier,bo-nal@uab.es • • Xavier Rambla és professor de Sociologia a la Universitat de Vico Els seus ambits de re-cerca són la sodologia de I'educadó, els estudis de genere i la política soda!. Adrec;:a professional: Universitat de Vico el Sagrada Familia, 7. 08500 Vic (Barcelona). Adrec;:a electrbnica: xavier.rambla@uvic.es • • • Marta Rovira és professora associada de la Universitat Autbnoma de Barcelona. Els seus ambits de recerca són la sociologia del coneixement i la socio logia de I'educació. Adrec;:a professional: Dept. de Sociologia. Universitat Autbnoma de Barcelona. Campus de Be-lIaterra, Edifid B. 08193 eerdanyola del Valles (Barcelona). Adrec;:a electrbnica: marta,rovira@uab.es 427
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Over the last decades, we have witnessed the centrality of demand-side education policies intended to improve access and conditions of schooling for the poor. Among these policies, voucher systems have played a prominent role as a... more
Over the last decades, we have witnessed the centrality of demand-side education policies intended to improve access and conditions of schooling for the poor. Among these policies, voucher systems have played a prominent role as a mechanism to enhance choice and competition. Actors advocating for and boosting such policies, such as the World Bank, national governments or private corporations, share a common understanding of the ways in which poor people respond to specific market and policy incentives. This article develops a critique of the assumed instrumental rationality of mainstream policies and programmes that focus on market and policy incentives to influence the educational demands of the poor. In the first part, the article describes the main characteristics of demand-side financing of education policies and provides an interpretation of the instrumental rationality embedded in the theory of change of these policies. In the second part of the article, alternative frameworks to interpret the responses of the poor to market and policy incentives are presented and discussed. The final section of the paper reflects on the significant policy implications of this discussion for global education reforms.
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Muchos gobiernos europeos, especialmente en el Sur de Europa, han adoptado políticas de austeridad como respuesta común a la crisis económica y financiera internacional. Los recortes en el ámbito social han afectado a los presupuestos... more
Muchos gobiernos europeos, especialmente en el Sur de Europa, han adoptado políticas de austeridad como respuesta común a la crisis económica y financiera internacional. Los recortes en el ámbito social han afectado a los presupuestos educativos y han obligado a los Estados a gestionar la crisis con estrategias políticas y discursivas. Este artículo desarrolla un análisis crítico sobre cómo el Estado español y el gobierno catalán en particular han gestionado el cambio educativo en un contexto de austeridad. Basándose en el enfoque de la economía política cultural de Bob Jessop y utilizando datos centrados en el caso catalán, el artículo explora los mecanismos y tecnologías de la gestión de la crisis y muestra cómo la crisis, en lugar de restringir la acción política del gobierno, es utilizada en realidad como oportunidad política para construir un nuevo modelo de política educativa.
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Durante las últimas décadas hemos sido testigos de un creciente protagonismo de las políticas educativas centradas en la demanda para mejorar el acceso y las condiciones de escolarización de los pobres. Entre ellas, las políticas de... more
Durante las últimas décadas hemos sido testigos de un creciente protagonismo de las políticas educativas centradas en la demanda para mejorar el acceso y las condiciones de escolarización de los pobres. Entre ellas, las políticas de voucher o bono escolar han desempeñado un papel destacado. Los actores que abogan por esas políticas y las impulsan, como el Banco Mundial (BM), los gobiernos nacionales o las empresas privadas comparten una interpretación común acerca de las formas en que los pobres responden a las políticas basadas en incentivos de mercado. Este artículo desarrolla una crítica de la supuesta racionalidad instrumental
de las políticas y programas que se centran en incentivos de mercado para influir en la demanda educativa de los pobres. En la primera parte, describe las principales características de las políticas educativas orientadas a la demanda y proporciona una interpretación de la racionalidad instrumental incorporada en la teoría del cambio de esas políticas. En la segunda, se presentan y discuten marcos alternativos para interpretar las respuestas de los pobres a los incentivos de mercado. La última sección reflexiona sobre las implicaciones políticas significativas de esta discusión para las reformas globales de la educación.
de las políticas y programas que se centran en incentivos de mercado para influir en la demanda educativa de los pobres. En la primera parte, describe las principales características de las políticas educativas orientadas a la demanda y proporciona una interpretación de la racionalidad instrumental incorporada en la teoría del cambio de esas políticas. En la segunda, se presentan y discuten marcos alternativos para interpretar las respuestas de los pobres a los incentivos de mercado. La última sección reflexiona sobre las implicaciones políticas significativas de esta discusión para las reformas globales de la educación.
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In recent years, the Civil Society Education Fund has supported national education civil society coalitions (NECs) in low-income countries so that they put pressure on governments and donors to implement the Education for All agenda and... more
In recent years, the Civil Society Education Fund has supported national education civil society coalitions (NECs) in low-income countries so that they put pressure on governments and donors to implement the Education for All agenda and the Millennium Development Goal on education. This article draws on literature on global governance as well as on an extensive evaluation of the CSEF to explore the actual contribution of this initiative to the activity of NECs. The article highlights the achievements and shortcomings of the CSEF and includes a set of practical recommendations on the role of global civil society in international development processes.
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Clasificar los objetivos que persigue la política educativa a través de las becas. Identificar a los beneficiarios del sistema de becas, analizar su eficacia interna y proponer alternativas para su reforma, Cursos de becarios de la... more
Clasificar los objetivos que persigue la política educativa a través de las becas. Identificar a los beneficiarios del sistema de becas, analizar su eficacia interna y proponer alternativas para su reforma, Cursos de becarios de la Dirección General de Promoción Educativa. Sistema de becas de Gran Bretaña, RF de Alemania, Francia y Suecia
A partir de programas experimentales desarrollados en escuelas primarias y secundarias de España, los autores de esta obra desarrollan una metodología para el trabajo en coeducación, con el fin de superar el problema del sexismo y de la... more
A partir de programas experimentales desarrollados en escuelas primarias y secundarias de España, los autores de esta obra desarrollan una metodología para el trabajo en coeducación, con el fin de superar el problema del sexismo y de la desigualdad sexual en la escuela.
El autor hace un recorrido por las corrientes de investigación dominantes sobre educación y sociedad y analiza de manera cronológica, tanto el contenido de dichas teorías sociológicas como de los procesos y factores sociales y políticos... more
El autor hace un recorrido por las corrientes de investigación dominantes sobre educación y sociedad y analiza de manera cronológica, tanto el contenido de dichas teorías sociológicas como de los procesos y factores sociales y políticos que explican su surgimiento y posterior crisis.
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During the last decades the World Bank (WB) has been without any doubt the most significant subject of globalisation processes in education and development. Political and economic transformations have transformed the Breton Woods... more
During the last decades the World Bank (WB) has been without any doubt the most significant subject of globalisation processes in education and development. Political and economic transformations have transformed the Breton Woods institutions as actors with the ability to shape and even impose agendas to less developed countries. Although education does not represent one of the most important sectors of the Bank portfolio, the growth in educational loans and, especially, the ideological capacity of the WB in shaping national policies have located education as one of the clearest examples of the supranational leverage in domestic policies. An education policy suitable for fighting poverty has been the main leit motiv in the shifting processes of the WB educational agenda. Interestingly enough, WB strategies to combat poverty have suffered important changes under different WB Presidencies, and so have changed (not always simultaneously) education and other social policies. This paper examines the relationship between the emergence of anti-poverty strategies in the WB and dominant models of education policy. The paper reviews changes in WB anti- poverty agenda since the 1980s until the most recent policy papers, and particularly the new Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP). The paper shows the main failings that underlie the positive and hoped-for relationship between investment in education and the reduction of poverty, and concludes that a good number of these failings can be attributed to an underestimation of the inverse relationship, i.e. the effects that poverty has on education.
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The field of education for development has been dominated by a certain perspective of economics of education, and more precisely, by neoclassical economics and human capital theory. Fifty years after its formulation, there is no doubt... more
The field of education for development has been dominated by a certain perspective of economics of education, and more precisely, by neoclassical economics and human capital theory. Fifty years after its formulation, there is no doubt that human capital theory, in its "hard" version based on the proper functioning of markets and the rationality of agents as utility maximisers, has succeeded as the dominant paradigm in the field of educational policy. As a result, the human capital paradigm has framed policies and programmes in the field of education for economic development. One of the main areas where human capital theory has been especially influential refers to the relationship between investment in education and poverty reduction. The World Bank has been unquestionably the leader in shaping policies and discourses raising the virtues of education to reduce global poverty.
However, up to now, little success can be reported, with huge differences between the average levels of education globally achieved and the persistence of high poverty rates. This paper reflects on the limitations of neoclassical economics and human capital theory as a valid paradigm to formulate policies for poverty reduction. The paper firstly identifies the main limitations of using the human capital theory as the central theory for policy-making in educational development. In its “hard” version, the human capital theory has strong macroeconomic and microeconomic assumptions that are regularly included within dominant models of educational policy. These assumptions never happen, but policy makers keep formulating policies as if they did. Secondly, the paper points out why most education policies fail to address the question of inequalities. The ignorance of inequalities constitutes what can be understood as the “missing link” between education, economic development and poverty reduction.
However, up to now, little success can be reported, with huge differences between the average levels of education globally achieved and the persistence of high poverty rates. This paper reflects on the limitations of neoclassical economics and human capital theory as a valid paradigm to formulate policies for poverty reduction. The paper firstly identifies the main limitations of using the human capital theory as the central theory for policy-making in educational development. In its “hard” version, the human capital theory has strong macroeconomic and microeconomic assumptions that are regularly included within dominant models of educational policy. These assumptions never happen, but policy makers keep formulating policies as if they did. Secondly, the paper points out why most education policies fail to address the question of inequalities. The ignorance of inequalities constitutes what can be understood as the “missing link” between education, economic development and poverty reduction.
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Los Colegios en Concesión (CEC) son un programa de escuelas chárter que se implementa en Colombia desde el año 1999. A pesar de su modesta expansión (72 escuelas, 107.000 alumnos), los CEC disfrutan de... more
Los Colegios en Concesión (CEC) son un programa de escuelas chárter que se implementa en Colombia desde el año 1999. A pesar de su modesta expansión (72 escuelas, 107.000 alumnos), los CEC disfrutan de un amplio reconocimiento internacional tanto académico como político (p.ej., por parte del Banco Mundial o el Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo), y son considerados como un modelo paradigmático y en gran medida exitoso de escuelas chárter. Basado en el marco teórico-metodológico de la evaluación realista, y a partir de un trabajo de campo que incluye técnicas tanto cualitativas como cuantitativas, el artículo cuestiona las hipótesis y los resultados del programa de CEC y, a su vez, discute las asunciones generales del modelo chárter.
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In recent years, the Civil Society Education Fund has supported national education civil society coalitions (NECs) in low-income countries so that they put pressure on governments and donors to implement the Education for All agenda and... more
In recent years, the Civil Society Education Fund has supported national
education civil society coalitions (NECs) in low-income countries so that
they put pressure on governments and donors to implement the
Education for All agenda and the Millennium Development Goal on
education. This article draws on literature on global governance as well
as on an extensive evaluation of the CSEF to explore the actual
contribution of this initiative to the activity of NECs. The article
highlights the achievements and shortcomings of the CSEF and includes
a set of practical recommendations on the role of global civil society in
international development processes.
education civil society coalitions (NECs) in low-income countries so that
they put pressure on governments and donors to implement the
Education for All agenda and the Millennium Development Goal on
education. This article draws on literature on global governance as well
as on an extensive evaluation of the CSEF to explore the actual
contribution of this initiative to the activity of NECs. The article
highlights the achievements and shortcomings of the CSEF and includes
a set of practical recommendations on the role of global civil society in
international development processes.