The Unfairness of Life Chances

About the lecture

In this lecture, we put together the methods we have considered thus far to think about unfairness in educational opportunities and wider society, focusing in particular on: (i) some key factors shaping inequality; (ii) problems with three main sources of numerical data on social stratification – occupational status, income, and FSM eligibility; (iii) an example of how FSM data can be used effectively – by comparing the exam results of long-term FSM-eligible pupils with those of all other pupils; (iii) how the reduction in the attainment gap between these two groups relates to the decline in segregation between schools and the pupil premium policy.

About the lecturer

Professor Stephen Gorard is Professor of Education and Public Policy and Director of the Evidence Centre for Education at Durham University. He has written very widely on educational inequalities, education policy, and research methods. His recent publications include How to Make Sense of Statistics (2021), How Can We Get Educators to Use Research Evidence? (2019, co-author), and Education Policy: Evidence of Equity and Effectiveness (2018).