Opportunity and equality

All education systems may ultimately be judged in terms of equality of opportunity. This is not the same as the debates over selectiveversus comprehensive schooling.It is rather a matter of whether everyone has the same opportunities for educational achievement or whether elitismof one sort or another is inherent inthe system. League tablesfor schools and colleges may actually help unintentionally to perpetuateinequalities, while claiming to promote the raising of standards. Inevitably, league tables divide the world into good and bad, success and failure, resulting in a two-tier system,even if that is only how the public perceivesit. The ability of the better-offparents and well-endowedschools to push children towards the institutions at the top of the league may, in the long term, have the effect of depressingopportunity for the less well-offor for children from home environments that do not provide the push and motivation to excel.

(a) lists of schools or colleges from the best down to the worst

(b) when everyone has the same chances

(d) everyone enters without exams

(e) when you favour a small, privileged group

(f) make something continue forever

(g) richer

(h) pupils take exams for entry

(i) sees, considers

(j) a system with two separate levels, of which is better than the other

(k) achieve an excellent standard

(l) receiving a lot of money in grants, gifts from rich people, etc.

(m) reducing

(n) education received at school existing as a basic part of something

2) Complete the collocations by filling in the missing words according to the meaning given in brackets.

1. ............................. tables (lists of schools from best to worst)

2. ............................. education (entry to schools is decided by exam results)

3. equality of.......................... (when everyone has the same chances)

4. ............................. inequalities (making inequalities continue forever)

3) Change the underlined words, using more formal and more appropriate words from the text. Make any other changes that are necessary.

1. Inequality is built into the education system.

2. Giving access only to privileged groups is bad for the country in the long term.

3. Education where everyone gets into the same type of school without exams is a basic political ideal in many countries.

4. A system where there are two levels of schools reduces the opportunities for children from poorer families and favours those from richer families.

5. Some private schools have lots of wealth and receive gifts of money, and this means they can have better resources.

6. All parents want their children to achieve the best possible results at school.

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