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Towards better Schools and more Equal Opportunities for Learning in Italy

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  • Romina Boarini

    (OECD)

Abstract

Compulsory school education in Italy produces poor results in terms of 15-year olds’ performance on PISA tests, compared with other OECD countries, despite a relatively high level of expenditure. While the influence of social background is smaller than in many OECD countries, it is largely transmitted through a kind of self-segregation resulting from family choices among the different types of upper secondary school. Large differences in pupils’ performance between regions cannot be explained by the quantity of resources available; separating the influence of socio-economic conditions from school efficiency is difficult and must be treated carefully in plans for extending fiscal federalism. The Italian government is rightly concerned to get better value for money and this chapter argues that policies to improve the information available to schools and teachers on the results they are achieving, while giving them appropriate incentives, responsibility and power to respond to such information, are necessary accompaniments to expenditure-saving policies. An improved focus on good quality training, both for new recruits and experienced teachers, and recruitment procedures themselves, should also pay dividends on efficiency. Améliorer l'école et l'égalité d'accès à l'éducation en Italie Par rapport aux autres pays de l'OCDE, les résultats des tests PISA des élèves italiens de 15 ans sont médiocres, et ce, malgré des dépenses d’éducation relativement élevées. Si l’incidence du milieu social est moindre que dans de nombreux autres pays membres, elle passe essentiellement par une sorte d’autodiscrimination résultant du choix des familles entre les différents types d’établissements secondaires du deuxième cycle. L’importance des écarts de résultats scolaires entre les régions ne peut s’expliquer par le volume des ressources disponibles. Il est difficile de faire la distinction entre l’impact des conditions socioéconomiques et l’efficience des établissements, et cela doit être étudié avec soin dans le cadre des projets d’extension du fédéralisme fiscal. Le gouvernement italien souhaite, à juste titre, optimiser les dépenses publiques et le présent chapitre défend l’idée selon laquelle des mesures visant à améliorer les informations à disposition des établissements scolaires et des enseignants concernant leurs résultats – tout en leur apportant les incitations, les responsabilités et les pouvoirs nécessaires pour agir en fonction de ces résultats – doivent accompagner les mesures d’économies budgétaires. Une attention plus grande accordée à une formation de qualité pour les enseignants, qu’il s’agisse des nouvelles recrues comme des enseignants chevronnés, ainsi qu’aux procédures de recrutement elles-mêmes, devrait également favoriser l’efficience.

Suggested Citation

  • Romina Boarini, 2009. "Towards better Schools and more Equal Opportunities for Learning in Italy," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 727, OECD Publishing.
  • Handle: RePEc:oec:ecoaaa:727-en
    DOI: 10.1787/220864240618
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Alex Bryson & Lorenzo Corsini & Irene Martelli, 2022. "Teacher allocation and school performance in Italy," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 36(4), pages 409-423, December.
    2. Tindara Addabbo & Maria Laura Di Tommaso & Anna Maccagnan, 2014. "Gender Differences in Italian Children's Capabilities," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(2), pages 90-121, April.
    3. Antonio Di Paolo, 2012. "Parental Education And Family Characteristics: Educational Opportunities Across Cohorts In Italy And Spain," Revista de Economia Aplicada, Universidad de Zaragoza, Departamento de Estructura Economica y Economia Publica, vol. 20(1), pages 119-146, Spring.
    4. Raffaela Giordano & Pietro Tommasino, 2013. "Public-Sector Efficiency and Political Culture," FinanzArchiv: Public Finance Analysis, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 69(3), pages 289-316, September.
    5. Balazs Egert & Christine de la Maisonneuve & David Turner, 2022. "A New Macroeconomic Measure of Human Capital Exploiting PISA and PIAAC: Linking Education Policies to Productivity," CESifo Working Paper Series 9728, CESifo.
    6. Piergiacomo Sibiano & Tommaso Agasisti, 2011. "Efficiency of public spending in education: A challenge among Italian regions," Investigaciones de Economía de la Educación volume 6, in: Antonio Caparrós Ruiz (ed.), Investigaciones de Economía de la Educación 6, edition 1, volume 6, chapter 31, pages 503-516, Asociación de Economía de la Educación.
    7. Alessandro Crociata & Iacopo Odoardi & Massimiliano Agovino & Pier Luigi Sacco, 2020. "A missing link? Cultural capital as a source of human capital: evidence from Italian regional data," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 64(1), pages 79-109, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    données PISA; education; fiscal federalism; fédéralisme fiscal; Italie; Italy; PISA data; résultats scolaires; school outcomes; éducation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy

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