Towards equity in school funding policies

A strong economic recovery that improves prospects for equitable growth after the COVID-19 pandemic will need to address persistent inequity in school systems. While OECD governments have increased or maintained constant education budgets in response to the pandemic, they will need to make difficult budgetary choices to support the recovery. The pursuit of equity in school systems can go hand in hand with efficiency goals when it comes to the allocation of available resources. Funding approaches play an important role in achieving equity objectives. Ensuring that students with different needs and from different backgrounds have access to high quality education from an early age can be an effective means to reduce systemic inefficiencies. Drawing on evidence from the OECD School Resources Review and beyond, this policy brief explores how school funding policies can promote equitable learning opportunities for all students. In particular, this brief explores the following questions:How can school systems ensure adequate levels of resources across sub-central authorities?How can school funding approaches provide additional resources to schools most in need?What is the role of transparency and evaluation for equity in school funding?