Private schooling and productivity in educational justice

What is it about?

This article examines the debate between so-callled equity theorists and adequacy theorists over elite private schooling and productivity. It challenges the view, presupposed but never defended by adequacy theorists, that private schools can be justified on account of their ability to increase social wealth and thus benefit the least well-off. The article also argues that contrary to what adequacy theorists claim, the equity approach does not neglect productivity considerations and, conversely, the adequacy approach exaggerates the extent to which it successfully accommodates the interest in productivity within its account of educational justice.

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Why is it important?

Theories that defend private schools oftentimes underestimate the disadvantages of these schools and assume that their advantages (specially their role in developing talent) can offset the disadvantages they produce. It is important to challenge this view, because it is unsubstantiated.

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