Education and Inequality in Europe: Recording and Discussion Highlights - Longitudinal Educational Achievements: Reducing iNequalities (LEARN)

On 2 July, LEARN Project held a web panel on Education and Inequality in Europe: Longitudinal Evidence, Policy, and Practice, bringing together leading researchers and a policy expert from the European Commission to explore how longitudinal evidence can deepen our understanding of educational inequalities and support evidence-informed policymaking across Europe.

The discussion highlighted the important role of high-quality longitudinal data in identifying the drivers of unequal educational opportunities and in informing effective policy responses. Participants reflected on current challenges and opportunities for strengthening evidence-based education systems across Europe.

Discussion Highlights

Evidence-based education requires sustained investment in longitudinal survey infrastructure and stronger links between survey and administrative data.
Evidence synthesis is a key feature of an evidence-based education system, including the use of systematic reviews and meta-analyses to inform decision-making.
Robust social science methods are essential for understanding cause-and-effect relationships, including the use of quasi-experimental and experimental approaches where appropriate.
National initiatives to build data infrastructure covering education and the transition to the labour market are welcome developments that can strengthen research and policy capacity.

These themes resonated throughout the discussion and underscored the value of robust, long-term data for understanding educational inequality and supporting effective education policy and practice.

Thank you to our host and distinguished panellists for sharing their expertise and perspectives: