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Education for all in a “rising Africa”

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Summary

This article discusses the trend of educational mobility in Africa, particularly in the past 50 years. It examines two measures of educational mobility – the intergenerational gradient and the correlation coefficient between parents and children’s years of schooling – to determine whether educational opportunities are becoming more equal across children. The article finds that the intergenerational gradient has declined substantially in the past 50 years, indicating that the schooling of someone born more recently is less influenced by her parent’s schooling. However, the correlation coefficient between parents and children’s years of schooling has increased, suggesting greater intergenerational persistence. The article suggests that the expansion of access to education and the abolition of school fees have likely contributed to the increased mobility, though Africa still has lower mobility than Europe/USA and the former Eastern Bloc.

Q&As

What data is used to measure educational mobility in Africa?
Data from the UNESCO is used to measure educational mobility in Africa.

What is the intergenerational gradient and how does it measure intergenerational persistence?
The intergenerational gradient is the regression coefficient of parents’ education as a predictor of children education. It measures intergenerational persistence--a lower the value indicates more intergenerational mobility.

How has the ratio of standard deviations of years of schooling between parents and children changed over time?
The ratio of standard deviations of years of schooling between parents and children has been increasing in some countries, and in some cases, increasing sharply.

How does Africa compare to other countries in terms of intergenerational educational mobility?
Africa has greater intergenerational educational mobility than Latin America, but mobility in Africa is lower than Europe/USA and the former Eastern Bloc.

What policies can be implemented to promote equal chances of schooling and social mobility in Africa?
Policies that promote an equal chance of schooling, and through it greater social mobility, are still needed. This could include the abolition of school fees and universal education.

AI Comments

👍 This article does a great job of highlighting the importance of education in Africa, and the impressive gains that have been made in terms of access to education.

👎 Despite these gains, the article also highlights that there is still a lot of inequality in terms of educational opportunity, with some children born disadvantaged due to their family's background.

AI Discussion

Me: It discusses the implications of education for all in a “rising Africa”. It looks at how economic growth in the region has been accompanied by the concern that the benefits of economic growth are not shared broadly, and examines trends in the intergenerational transmission of education over the last 50 years.

Friend: Wow, that's really interesting. What did the article find?

Me: The article found that while the primary adjusted net enrollment ratio has increased from 59% in 1999 to 79% in 2012, there is still a gap in educational opportunities between children of different socioeconomic backgrounds. The intergenerational gradient has declined, meaning that the schooling of someone born more recently is less influenced by her parent’s schooling. However, the correlation coefficient between parents and children years of schooling has increased, indicating greater intergenerational persistence. This means that more education is available for children from well-educated parents.

Friend: That's concerning. What does this mean for educational mobility in Africa?

Me: Well, mobility in Africa is lower than in Europe/USA and the former Eastern Bloc. So there is more that needs to be done to promote equal educational opportunities and social mobility for those living in Africa. There needs to be policies in place that will help bridge the gap between those with access to education and those without.

Action items

Research and explore the policies that promote an equal chance of schooling and greater social mobility in Africa.
Investigate the correlation between parental education and children's education in Africa.
Analyze the impact of the abolition of school fees and universal education on educational mobility in Africa.

Technical terms

Intergenerational Gradient: The regression coefficient of parents’ education as a predictor of children education. It measures intergenerational persistence--a lower the value indicates more intergenerational mobility.
Correlation Coefficient: The correlation between parents and children years of schooling shows how much of the dispersion in children's education is explained by parental education -- a lower value also indicates more intergenerational mobility.
Standard Deviations: The ratio of the standard deviations of education between parents and children.
Intergenerational Mobility: The ability of children to move up or down in educational attainment compared to their parents.