In an important contribution to educational policy, Daniele Checchi offers an economic perspective on the demand and supply of education. He explores the reasons why, beyond a certain point, investment in education has not resulted in reductions in social inequalities. Starting with the seminal...

We use longitudinal data from over 1.5 million students to examine the impact of COVID-19 on students’ achievement in mathematics and reading in primary and lower secondary schools in Italy, as well as its impact on inequalities by gender and socio-economic condition. On average, the cohort of...

The inequality delusion and other scapegoats for populism -- The fairness instinct -- Economic unfairness and the rise of populism -- The twin virtues of equal opportunity and fair unequal outcomes -- Constraints and solutions to economic fairness -- Conclusion. Scripting a path forward.

Political upheaval, with the dangerous rise of the far right - in Italy and Europe - is likely to be stabilised when politics and policies again turn their attention to the priorities of the majority of impoverished voters, with a focus on reducing inequalities, unemployment and casualisation.

This paper studies the role of the expansion of higher education supply in increasing the equality of post-secondary education opportunities. It examines Italy's experience during the 1990s, when policy changes prompted universities to offer a wider range of degree courses and to open new...