Estimation of education quality: harmonization and analysis of inequalities

Abstract

Background: Education is key social determinant of health, the effects of which are related to theattainment of subject-based skills and the application of these skills to improve the health and well-being of individuals and economies. Previous analyses have shown that there is stark inequality in access to quality education, but estimates are hindered by a landscape of differing assessments of student achievement making comparability of education quality across locations difficult. We therefor aim to produce globally standardized estimates of education quality and describe inequalities in access to high quality education. Methods: International assessments of mathematics achievement were harmonized to a single assessment scale using a newly applied network meta-analysis strategy. Inequalities in harmonized estimates of educational quality were identified across region, country, and socioeconomic status (SES) using absolute and relative measures of inequality. Results: There are significant differences in educational quality across locations not explained by educational attainment alone. Individual-level variables related to household SES are consistently associated with higher quality education. Conclusion: Inequalities in access to quality education have wide-ranging implications. Achievement levels should be interpreted in tandem with estimates of total inequality to ensure that improvements in achievement happen in tandem with reductions in total inequality.