Reducing Socioeconomic Inequity by Improving the Equity of Education

Abstract

The purpose of the chapter is to examine possibilities for reducing socioeconomic inequity by improving opportunities in education for low-income children and youth. Honduras is used as an example. Honduras is one of the poorest countries in Latin America, 51 % of the work force is unemployed or underemployed, and high levels of socioeconomic inequity are evident with 68 % of the population living in poverty. The challenges are associated with limited employment opportunities, low levels of productivity and education, and more people entering the labor force than employers can absorb. International research shows that improvements in the quality of education and a work force with higher levels of education can complement other reforms for improving incomes and reducing poverty. With international data suggesting that improvements in the education levels of a work force can help improve employment opportunities, Honduras established goals for increasing net enrollments in education. Net and gross enrollment rates may be similar in more developed countries, when students enroll at an appropriate age and education systems have efficient pass rates, but the two rates can be very different in developing countries. With national goals for net enrollment rates, governments and international organizations may focus on perceived problems with the coverage of education, rather than addressing issues with the efficiency, quality, and equity of education – which may result in more youth dropping out of school, as compared to young people who have lacked access, as in the case of Honduras. The case of Honduras shows how priorities can become very different when gross enrollment rates and other information on equity are used for planning priorities in education, rather than relying on improvements in net coverage to achieve goals in socioeconomic development.