Educational attainment across the UK nations: performance, inequality and evidence

Abstract

Background: Political devolution occurred in the UK in 1998-99, following many years in which some degree of policy administration had been devolved to the four nations. Since devolution, all four countries of the UK have pursued increasingly divergent education policies. This is true in England in particular, where diversity, choice and competition have become a key focus of education policy. This political divergence between the four nations gives us the opportunity to appraise differences and similarities in educational policies and outcomes in the four UK nations. Purpose: This article is a comparative review of the education reforms of the constituent countries of the UK, with particular focus on value for money. The main aims of the article are to (1) outline the key differences in the educational systems in terms of school type, choice and competition, educational resources and pedagogy; (2) describe how the countries compare in terms of educational attainment during compulsory schooling years; (3) examine inequalities in educational attainment, such as by gender and socio-economic status, and how the different countries compare on these measures; and (4) examine existing evidence on the effectiveness and value for money of different education policies and programmes in the different countries. Sources of evidence: We use a variety of sources of evidence to achieve these aims. We undertake a literature review of the existing evidence on the effectiveness and value for money of different programmes and policies that have taken place across the UK. We also collate and undertake an analysis of data on educational outcomes from published statistics sourced from the national statistics offices of each country. It is easier to be confident about comparisons based on international data sets because in this case all students will have taken exactly the same test, so we also compile and analyse survey data from international surveys of educational attainment such as PISA, PIRLS and TIMSS. Main argument: We argue that while the systems of the four countries of the UK are becoming increasingly divergent, there are still many similarities. This is borne out in the evidence on educational outcomes, which show many similarities between the four countries. Because of these similarities, the positive impacts of many of the policies and programmes adopted in England may have relevance for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Conclusions: We find evidence that increasing school resources improves results, and also that more targeted spending benefits able pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. We also find positive results of several programmes. Evaluating the education policies of the four nations in terms of value for money -and therefore whether they have scope to be adopted -represents a bigger challenge. Whilst the value for *Corresponding author.

Seven key investments for health equity across the lifecourse: Scotland versus the rest of the UK

“…Continued investment has been made in Scotland and England for providing financial support to 16–19 year olds attending school, through the Education Maintenance Allowance in Scotland and the 16–19 Bursary Fund (England) ( Government, 2015 ). Machin et al. (2013) conclude that there are more similarities than differences between England and Scotland in terms of overall literacy and numeracy performance, with both countries performing well compared to the average scores for 32 OECD countries.…”

“…(2013) conclude that there are more similarities than differences between England and Scotland in terms of overall literacy and numeracy performance, with both countries performing well compared to the average scores for 32 OECD countries. However, closer inspection of data within countries reveals substantial educational inequalities according to SEP ( Machin et al., 2013 ). For example, data from PISA 2009 indicate that 15 year olds from the lowest quartile SEP groups in both England and Scotland perform well below the average for literacy and numeracy for 32 OECD countries, compared to those in the highest quartile ( Machin et al., 2013 ).…”

“…However, closer inspection of data within countries reveals substantial educational inequalities according to SEP ( Machin et al., 2013 ). For example, data from PISA 2009 indicate that 15 year olds from the lowest quartile SEP groups in both England and Scotland perform well below the average for literacy and numeracy for 32 OECD countries, compared to those in the highest quartile ( Machin et al., 2013 ). There is good evidence that financial investment in schools and education impacts upon attainment, particularly for disadvantaged groups ( Holmlund et al., 2011 ).…”

Pupil selection segments urban comprehensive schooling in Finland: composition of school classes in pupils’ school performance, gender, and ethnicity

“…22-24;as cited in Seppä-nen, 2006, p. 22). Gender differences in relation to school performance have received attention from academics, either by focusing on differences at a subject level (e.g., Brandell & Staberg, 2008) or a more general level (e.g., Arnesen, Lahelma, & Öhrn, 2008;Machin, McNally, & Wyness, 2013). According to the latest PISA results, in addition to reading (OECD, 2014, p. 73, 240), Finnish girls currently perform better than boys in mathematics and natural sciences, which was not the case in the beginning of the millennium (Kupari et al, 2013, pp.…”

Segregation, inequality, and educational performance in Northern Ireland: Problems and solutions

“…percentage points between the two school types (Guyon et al, 2012; see also Machin et al 2013). More worryingly, this gap has not changed to any significant extent since 2008 when the information was first collected in this format (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, 2012).…”