Short Abstract:

The Report aims to investigate inequality in its multifaceted dimensions with a special focus on education and learning disparities. The Report is a research initiative promoted by Cariplo foundation, and is deeply inspired by the human development approach with its focus on individual circumstances that may affect human flourishing and the attention paid to multiple dimensions of inequalities.

Long Abstract:

For years we have witnessed growing social fragmentation, a situation where even individuals living in close proximity often experience very unequal living conditions and access to opportunities. These disparities often entail inequality of opportunity, a multidimensional phenomenon that deeply impacts not only the lives of individuals but also society at large. Such inequality engenders a growing divide in terms of people’s futures and life prospects, leading to the loss of the human potential of youths, citizens and workers of tomorrow. This phenomenon together with the significant demographic shift we are experiencing in several European countries, will give rise to a growing scarcity of young people, making each of their individual talents and know-how increasingly vital.

The aim of this Report is to investigate inequality in its multifaceted dimensions with a special focus on education and learning disparities. The Report is a research initiative promoted by Cariplo foundation, a grant making organization of banking origin located in Milan (Italy). The Report is deeply inspired by the human development approach with its focus on individual circumstances that may affect human flourishing and for the attention paid to multiple dimensions of inequality.

The first chapter offers an in-depth analysis of income and wealth inequality, with a primarily focus on Italy, and illustrates how this gap has continued to expand over the past thirty years. This economic divide is also reflected in the learning pathways of adolescents; the second chapter of the report, in fact, explores how students’ educational journeys can be negatively impacted by a range of factors linked to their socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. The ensuing differences tend to persist over time. Indeed, the third chapter, based on an analysis of data collected by Italy’s National Institute for the Evaluation of the Educational and Training System (INVALSI), shows how learning inequalities in the school system remain relatively unchanged from elementary school through middle school. In this framework we present, in chapter 4 and 5, a quantitative and qualitative research conducted in two crucial phases of the learning process - namely, preschoolers and adolescents - where we found significant differences between pupils with different socio-economic backgrounds in terms of non-cognitive skills. Indeed, regardless of actual talents or potential, students living in more precarious conditions have both lower expectations of themselves and less confidence in their ability to fulfill those expectations than their more advantaged peers. In the last chapter we discuss the importance to adopt a human development perspective for examining inequalities and disadvantages in their multifaceted and interrelated dimensions, with special attention to social, educational and health-related aspects, and their relevance and consequences not only for the individuals but also for the community as a whole.

Ultimately, the Report suggests that to remove obstacles, mitigate frailty and promote equality of opportunity it is crucial to develop partnerships that include institutional actors, private and nonprofit organizations.