Informed Discourses to Tackle Educational Inequalities: Three Premises to Articulate the Spanish Agenda
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Abstract
Addressing inequalities in schools is a crucial element of European education policy. Approaches to this phenomenon vary considerably, both in the definition of the problem and in the implementation of initiatives. However, little is known about how those who influence educational policy understand and perceive school inequality. This article examines the discourses of key stakeholders engaged in tackling school inequality in Spain in the aim to identify the frameworks, both conceptual and pragmatic, that articulate their understanding of educational inequalities. Drawing on this qualitative approach, three distinct dominant premises are revealed: going beyond formal equality and moving toward a social justice perspective; addressing inequality from a relational framework, considering factors both inside and outside of school; and understanding inequality as a dynamic and cumulative process that requires a preventive approach. Overall, the article contributes to shedding light on the complex interplay between perspectives and strategies as a key process for understanding educational inequalities considering the linked ecologies specific to each country.
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