"Equal opportunity is a state of fairness in which individuals are treated similarly, unhampered by artificial barriers, prejudices, or preferences, except when particular distinctions can be explicitly justified."
The idea that all individuals should have equal access to education regardless of their socio-economic background or other factors that may impact their opportunities.
Social Stratification: The hierarchical arrangement of individuals and groups with different levels of power, status, and resources within society.
Education Inequality: Differences and disparities that exist among groups of students with regard to access, quality, and outcomes of education.
Cultural Capital: The social and cultural knowledge, attitudes, values, and behaviors that are transmitted through family, peers, and community and contribute to academic success.
Social Reproduction: The process by which social inequalities are perpetuated and reproduced across generations through education.
Tracking: The practice of grouping students based on perceived abilities or achievement levels, which can lead to educational inequalities.
Achievement Gap: The disparities in academic performance and attainment between different groups of students, such as racial/ethnic or socioeconomic groups.
School Segregation: The separation of students by race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status in schools, which can lead to unequal educational opportunities and outcomes.
No Child Left Behind Act: A federal education law aimed at improving the academic performance of all students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Equity vs. Equality: The difference between treating all students the same (equality) and recognizing and addressing different needs and circumstances (equity) to achieve fairness and access to opportunities.
Critical Race Theory: An interdisciplinary perspective that examines how race and racism intersect with other forms of social inequality in education and society.
Procedural Equality: This type of equality emphasizes an equal opportunity for everyone to gain access to education, without discrimination based on race, gender, social class or religion.
Outcome Equality: This type of equality focuses on ensuring that equal outcomes and achievements are attained by all students regardless of their backgrounds.
Resource Equality: This type of equality addresses the provision of an equal distribution of educational resources and facilities, including teachers, classrooms, textbooks and admin support.
Social Cohesion Equality: This type of equality aims at fostering a sense of social cohesion among students, especially from diverse backgrounds, and promotes the idea of working together and appreciating diverse cultures.
Multicultural Equality: This type of equality emphasizes the recognition of multicultural diversity among students, including their cultural and ethnic background, histories, values and traditions.
Cultural Equality: This type of equality highlights the importance of acknowledging and appreciating different cultural identities within the educational system.
Linguistic Equality: This type of equality focuses on providing education in different languages, in order to cater to diverse student populations who may have a different mother tongue.
Gender Equality: This type of equality emphasizes ensuring that male and female students receive an equal education and education opportunities, without any gender discrimination.
Economic Equality: This type of equality aims to provide equal educational opportunities for all, regardless of their socio-economic status. It aims to reduce the gap between the wealthy and the poor by providing free or affordable education to everyone.
Disability Equality: This type of equality addresses the rights of individuals with disabilities to have access to educational opportunities and facilities, which could mean providing accommodations such as wheelchair ramps, interpreters, hearing aids and other assistive technology.
"For example, the intent of equal employment opportunity is that the important jobs in an organization should go to the people who are most qualified – persons most likely to perform ably in a given task – and not go to persons for reasons deemed arbitrary or irrelevant."
"...circumstances of birth, upbringing, having well-connected relatives or friends, religion, sex, ethnicity, race, caste, or involuntary personal attributes such as disability, age, gender identity, or sexual orientation."
"...everybody without regard for wealth, status, or membership in a privileged group."
"The idea is to remove arbitrariness from the selection process and base it on some 'pre-agreed basis of fairness, with the assessment process being related to the type of position' and emphasizing procedural and legal means."
"...their efforts and not extraneous circumstances such as having well-connected parents."
"It is opposed to nepotism and plays a role in whether a social structure is seen as legitimate."
"The concept is applicable in areas of public life in which benefits are earned and received such as employment and education."
"Equal opportunity is central to the concept of meritocracy."
"The idea is to remove arbitrariness from the selection process..."
"...base it on some 'pre-agreed basis of fairness..."
"...based on their efforts..."
"...artificial barriers, prejudices, or preferences..."
"...not go to persons for reasons deemed arbitrary or irrelevant..."
"...circumstances of birth, upbringing, having well-connected relatives or friends, religion, sex, ethnicity, race, caste, or involuntary personal attributes..."
"The idea is to remove arbitrariness from the selection process..."
"...pre-agreed basis of fairness..."
"...efforts and not extraneous circumstances..."
"...essential for whether a social structure is seen as legitimate."
"The concept is applicable in areas of public life...although it can apply to many other areas as well."