Socioeconomic Inequality and Student Outcomes in Italy

This chapter assesses inequalities in educational outcomes in Italy linking their evolution to changes in the Italian educational system. We analyze how to track choice and performance in PISA tests among 15-year olds are influenced by social origins. We consider how inequalities by social origins are intertwined with inequalities by immigrant status and area of residence. We detect a small reduction of inequalities in participation in the academic track and a reduction of inequality in achievement limited to the northern regions, but overall our results show high inertia in the reproduction of social inequalities. These results are observed during a period where the reduction of inequalities in education has remained a marginal issue in the policy debate as well as a marginal target of educational policies.