Unequal Schools, Unequal Chances: The Challenges to Equal Opportunity in the Americas(David Rockefeller Centre for Latin American Studies)

With the greatest income inequality in the world, the nations of the Americas face the challenge of consolidating democratic regimes, improving productivity, and reducing poverty as they enter the twenty-first century. Educational opportunity is central to this threefold challenge. The distinguished contributors to this volume discuss current policies and issues in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and the United States, as they explore the nature of the relationship among education, poverty, and inequality. The book provides impressive evidence linking school participation, the quality of education for poor children in the Americas, and the impact of education policies to promote social justice. Using both qualitative and quantitative data, the book addresses the following sets of questions: How does the education system reproduce social inequality? How does education provide opportunities for social mobility? What are the causal processes involved? What is the direction of this causation? Linking theory and practice, the authors explore the dynamic relationship between educational change and social change, and weigh the significance of their findings for the educational chances of poor children.

Review :
A provocative and immensely helpful book, "Unequal Schools, Unequal Chances" is also a handbook for participatory practices in fostering social and economic growth in both developing and seemingly developed nations...[This book] fulfills its goals. It provides the evidence to define its context. It also examines and describes successful policy. What is most clear is that the problems have always overwhelmed the effort to resolve them, and in all cases it has been the poor who have suffered the consequences. Equity has deprived the poor, but is has deprived the nation of their talents. The bottom line this book offers is that the need to solve the problems of poverty coexists with the problems of staffing, facilities, and curriculum that may characterize poor schools. Equity is a social and economic problem that becomes an educational issue. The schools exist within a specific context, and are effected by-often determined by-its conditions. "Unequal Schools, Unequal Chance" offers data and suggestions for a wholistic approach to making education a positive tool for social and economic development. It is not limited to the developing world, or to Latin America, although that is its focus. "Unequal Schools,.".should be a classic! -- James J. Harrington "Education Review" (08/29/2001) education reproduces social stratification, using widely accepted social science research methods...Recommended. positive tool for social and economic development. It is not limited to the developing world, or to Latin America, although that is its focus. "Unequal Schools,.".should be a classic! This highly praised collection of articles examines the issues of educational opportunity and social inequality in the Americas...The articles, which are exceptionally clear and well written, attempt to explain how education reproduces social stratification, using widely accepted social science research methods...Recommended. -- M. A. Saint-Germain "Choice" (01/01/2002)