Structural Inequality in Education: Comparative Analysis of Literacy in Russia and the OECD Countries

Abstract

In this paper the authors evaluate the effectiveness of different areas and levels of the Russian educational system in comparison to the educational systems of the most economically developed countries. A study of adult literacy levels across different generations was conducted in order to reveal stability (or instability) in educational outcomes over the long run in different groups, including both those with higher and lower levels of education and modest and significant access to resources.  The empirical basis for this research are the results of international comparative studies from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA, all rounds were carried out with the participation of Russia), and the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). The central question of the article is to ask whether the specific features of the Russian educational system exist on the macro-level in comparison to developed countries. Moreover, if found to exist, what advantages and disadvantages do they bring to Russian education? Do educational outcomes change with time and what are the tendencies of these changes?

In this paper the authors evaluate the effectiveness of different areas and levels of the Russian educational system in comparison to the educational systems of the most economically developed countries. A study of adult literacy levels across different generations was conducted in order to reveal stability (or instability) in educational outcomes over the long run in different groups, including both those with higher and lower levels of education and modest and significant access to resources.  The empirical basis for this research are the results of international comparative studies from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA, all rounds were carried out with the participation of Russia), and the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). The central question of the article is to ask whether the specific features of the Russian educational system exist on the macro-level in comparison to developed countries. Moreover, if found to exist, what advantages and disadvantages do they bring to Russian education? Do educational outcomes change with time and what are the tendencies of these changes?

The empirical results of this study show that the educational system in Russia is quite stable; its special features are being translated from generation to generation over a long period. The authors conclude that the system works more efficiently for the least literate people, for it is in this group that the difference between Russia and the OECD countries is minimal. At the same time, the most educated group shows significantly lower results in Russia in comparison to the OECD countries. With an increase in the complexity of education, the gap between Russian respondents and their counterparts from the OECD countries has grown larger. The situation is worse for those adults who entered the labor market after 1991 (the date of the collapse of the Soviet Union). There is an evident lag in both literacy and numeracy skills for this group, even in comparison with older fellow citizens. The picture in Russia is totally opposite to the OECD results, where the elder group is less literate than the younger one.