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Many countries are struggling to reconcile their aspirations for greater flexibility and more opportunities for parents to choose their child’s school with the need to ensure quality, equity and coherence in their school systems. The new analyses from PISA presented in this report suggest that this is an achievable goal. School choice, in and of itself, neither assures nor undermines the quality of education. What matters are smart policies that maximise the benefits of choice while minimising the risks, and establishing a level playing field for all providers to contribute to the school system.
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This report documents the changes in school enrolment that have recently occurred in the countries that participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). It questions whether school-choice policies may have consequences on the sorting of students, by both ability and socio-economic status, and whether they may be associated with both the effectiveness and equity of education systems.
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This chapter gives a general introduction to the various types of school choice programmes. It discusses the reasons these programmes may affect the composition of schools – notably the social diversity within schools, and why that may matter for both the performance and the equity of education systems.
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This chapter presents several indicators in PISA for measuring school choice. It examines where the proportion of students in private schools has changed between the early 2000s and 2015, and discusses the admissions criteria schools use, notably those related to residence and to academic performance. The chapter also compares the degree of local school competition as perceived by parents and school principals.
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This chapter investigates whether school choice may affect social and academic diversity within the schools. It compares the degree of social diversity between public and private schools, and examines whether the changes in social and academic segregation may be related to schools’ admissions policies.
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This chapter analyses how changes observed in the degree of social and academic segregation across schools is related to the link between socio-economic status and performance in PISA. The chapter also examines whether the criteria used for admissions to school have a direct impact on performance and equity, as measured by PISA.
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