The Young Lives team recently attended the conference of the British Association of International and Comparative Education (BAICE). Professor Jo Boyden, current President of BAICE, presented a keynote speech, and Oxford researchers convened a panel entitled 'Learning and Life Chances: Opportunities, transitions and mobility in four countries: Evidence from Young Lives'.
Jo Boyden opened the conference with a presentation entitled 'Modernity, Mobility and the Reshaping of Childhood in the 21st Century: Educational Aspirations and Challenges', viewable here. Jo drew on Young Lives data to illustrate the nexus between education, migration and mobility, in contexts where educational aspirations are high and where schooling is seen as the chief means of social mobility for children and their families. She argued that where families are convinced of the value of education, and where school systems fail to deliver in terms of quality and relevance, migration for education and work are seen as a logical option for many children. Important questions were raised about whether the tremendous sacrifices made for schooling, and increasing migration and mobility, will translate into improved prospects for young people today.
The panel then presented three research papers on the themes of education and mobility in Peru, Andhra Pradesh (India), and Vietnam. The session was chaired by Angela Little, Professor Emerita at the Institute of Education and Chair of Young Lives International Advisory Board.
Social and moral dimensions of rural education in Peru
Gina Crivello explored the social and moral dimensions of rural-urban migration for education, drawing on qualitative data collected with young people in two rural communities in Peru. She outlined the high levels of rural-urban migration evident in the Young Lives sample, and then considered the factors shaping differential access to educational migration. She highlighted the way in which migration may be seen as a resource for children, and demonstrated that decisions around migration and education reflect consideration of both material and social factors.
Changing school landscapes in India
Zoe James and Professor Martin Woodhead presented mixed-methods work on the growth of low-fee private schooling in Andhra Pradesh. Using quantitative data from children's school histories they presented evidence on the increasing prevalence of school changes - both between and within the government and private sectors - among Young Lives children. They then used qualitative data to illustrate the factors driving these school changes as well as how households reconcile themselves to diverting scarce financial resources towards education spending. The presentation raised questions about the empowering potential of privatisation and considered the longer-term implications of such a system for equity.
Beyond the education-poverty trap in Vietnam
Caine Rolleston presented emerging work on the relationship between educational supportunity and social mobility in Vietnam. Drawing on the recently collected school survey data, Caine sought to consider the role of children's home background in narrowing the 'achievement' gap over the course of Grade 5. He found a narrowing achievement gap evident in both maths and Vietnamese, in which weaker pupils 'caught up' with their higher achieving counterparts. He showed that in maths, home background did not impact on progress in Grade 5, but that the classes with the highest 'value-added' contained more disadvantaged pupils. This provides some initial evidence of an equalising system in which disadvantaged pupils are able to catch-up through schooling.
Presentations
Modernity, Mobility and the Reshaping of Childhood in the 21st Century: Educational Aspirations and Challenges
Professor Jo Boyden, Young Lives, University of Oxford
The social and moral dimensions of educational migration in rural Peru
Gina Crivello, Young Lives, University of Oxford
Changing school landscapes, privatisation and mobility between schools in India
Zoe James, Young Lives, University of Oxford & Professor Martin Woodhead, The Open University
Beyond the education-poverty trap: Educational opportunity and social mobility in Vietnam
Caine Rolleston, Young Lives, University of Oxford
The Young Lives team recently attended the conference of the British Association of International and Comparative Education (BAICE). Professor Jo Boyden, current President of BAICE, presented a keynote speech, and Oxford researchers convened a panel entitled 'Learning and Life Chances: Opportunities, transitions and mobility in four countries: Evidence from Young Lives'.
Jo Boyden opened the conference with a presentation entitled 'Modernity, Mobility and the Reshaping of Childhood in the 21st Century: Educational Aspirations and Challenges', viewable here. Jo drew on Young Lives data to illustrate the nexus between education, migration and mobility, in contexts where educational aspirations are high and where schooling is seen as the chief means of social mobility for children and their families. She argued that where families are convinced of the value of education, and where school systems fail to deliver in terms of quality and relevance, migration for education and work are seen as a logical option for many children. Important questions were raised about whether the tremendous sacrifices made for schooling, and increasing migration and mobility, will translate into improved prospects for young people today.
The panel then presented three research papers on the themes of education and mobility in Peru, Andhra Pradesh (India), and Vietnam. The session was chaired by Angela Little, Professor Emerita at the Institute of Education and Chair of Young Lives International Advisory Board.
Social and moral dimensions of rural education in Peru
Gina Crivello explored the social and moral dimensions of rural-urban migration for education, drawing on qualitative data collected with young people in two rural communities in Peru. She outlined the high levels of rural-urban migration evident in the Young Lives sample, and then considered the factors shaping differential access to educational migration. She highlighted the way in which migration may be seen as a resource for children, and demonstrated that decisions around migration and education reflect consideration of both material and social factors.
Changing school landscapes in India
Zoe James and Professor Martin Woodhead presented mixed-methods work on the growth of low-fee private schooling in Andhra Pradesh. Using quantitative data from children's school histories they presented evidence on the increasing prevalence of school changes - both between and within the government and private sectors - among Young Lives children. They then used qualitative data to illustrate the factors driving these school changes as well as how households reconcile themselves to diverting scarce financial resources towards education spending. The presentation raised questions about the empowering potential of privatisation and considered the longer-term implications of such a system for equity.
Beyond the education-poverty trap in Vietnam
Caine Rolleston presented emerging work on the relationship between educational supportunity and social mobility in Vietnam. Drawing on the recently collected school survey data, Caine sought to consider the role of children's home background in narrowing the 'achievement' gap over the course of Grade 5. He found a narrowing achievement gap evident in both maths and Vietnamese, in which weaker pupils 'caught up' with their higher achieving counterparts. He showed that in maths, home background did not impact on progress in Grade 5, but that the classes with the highest 'value-added' contained more disadvantaged pupils. This provides some initial evidence of an equalising system in which disadvantaged pupils are able to catch-up through schooling.
Presentations
Modernity, Mobility and the Reshaping of Childhood in the 21st Century: Educational Aspirations and Challenges
Professor Jo Boyden, Young Lives, University of Oxford
The social and moral dimensions of educational migration in rural Peru
Gina Crivello, Young Lives, University of Oxford
Changing school landscapes, privatisation and mobility between schools in India
Zoe James, Young Lives, University of Oxford & Professor Martin Woodhead, The Open University
Beyond the education-poverty trap: Educational opportunity and social mobility in Vietnam
Caine Rolleston, Young Lives, University of Oxford