Education Finance, Equality, and Equity

This volume revisits educational equality and equity issues, especially, in education finance-related topics consisting of 15 chapters and organized in two parts. The first part of the volume entitled “Education Finance”, focuses on equity aspects of resource allocation and its influence on education. The second part, entitled “Educational Equality and Equity”, focuses on the conceptualization, and the measurements of educational inequity, and inequality with special emphasis on the cost of inequality.

The field of education finance has been significantly influencing policy-makers in many countries in recent years. This volume is focused on equity and equality in education finance in an international frame.

This book would be of interest to (1) scholars at the fields of education finance, economics of education, and educational policy, (2) graduate students at the course of school finance or economics of education, and (3) local and global policy makers atthe fields of education policy, and education finance. 

“So many books on educational finance emphasize mechanisms to reduce educational inequity, without demonstrating whether such changes bring greater equity in educational results. This book sets a more profound task?  Do educational policies that address equity show evidence of greater educational equality? The chapters provide important and helpful directions for using the tools of educational finance to equalize educational outcomes among populations.” (Prof. Henry M. Levin, William Heard Kilpatrick,  Professor of Economics and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, NY, USA)

“Decisions that impact human wellbeing and social-justice centre around financing. Yet so little is understood about what constitutes those parameters that lead to divergent outcomes for human condition. Whilst equity oriented policies backed by timely financing, target specific groups enabling them to achieve Sen’s capabilities, equality creates minimum thresholds as opportunities for ALL. This Book is an essential read for policy makers and researchers offering a concrete spectrum of choices along the equity-equality intersects.  It is a refreshing balance of key concepts and their application across country specific and multi-country studies in developed and developing countries and across various sub-sectors of education reflecting the challenges of SDG-4.” (Baela Raza Jamil, CEO Idara-e-taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) Commissioner Education Commission & Steering Committee Member People’s Action for Learning (PAL) Network)

“This set of excellent scholars reminds us that educational finance far exceeds technical problem solving but rather touches on essential educational questions related to development, globalization, equity, opportunity and justice.  This important volume will be essential reading for all interested in the Sustainable Development Goals as it brings rigorous comparative, international research into the conversation on how we can betterachieve quality education globally.” (Prof, Noah W. Sobe, President of CIES (2017-2018) and Professor of Cultural and Educational Policy Studies at Loyola University Chicago, USA)

“Iris Ben David-Hadar has assembled an exciting group of scholars on this topic who are taking an expansive view of the topic of educational finance.   Taking up-front the issues of the tradeoff between equitable outcomes and what are efficient policy choices, the book takes equality as core principle as distinct from inequality – a critical difference.  It is an important reference point for all, and a must read for education policymakers.” (Colm Harmon, The University of Sydney, Australia)