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Sorting and private education in Italy

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  • Daniele Checchi
  • Giuseppe Bertola

Abstract

This paper discusses reforms of Italian secondary schools' curriculum and funding in light of theoretical considerations, of the experience of other countries, and of empirical evidence. We briefly review socio-economic views on the schooling system's role in shaping the social structure and productive potential of new generations. The current structure of the Italian secondary school system lets the student population sort itself, on the basis of individuals' financial and culturalbackground, along both vocational vs. comprehensive and public vs. private dimensions. We characterise the outcome of this sorting, and its relationship to further educational experience, with a statistical analysis of a sample of University students. Not surprisingly, we find that in Italy Catholic private schools play a different role from that of their American counterparts, which have been found to improve the performance of relatively poor students. Italian confessional and other private schools appear to cater to the needs of relatively less talented students fromrelatively rich family backgrounds.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniele Checchi & Giuseppe Bertola, 2001. "Sorting and private education in Italy," Departmental Working Papers 2001-21, Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods at Università degli Studi di Milano.
    • Handle: RePEc:mil:wpdepa:2001-21
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    1. Gianna Boero & Abigail McKnight & Robin Naylor & Jeremy Smith, 2004. "Graduates and Graduate Labour Markets in the UK and Italy," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Daniele Checchi & Claudio Lucifora (ed.), Education, Training and Labour Market Outcomes in Europe, chapter 6, pages 129-165, Palgrave Macmillan.
    2. Justman, Moshe & Gradstein, Mark, 2001. "Public Education and the Melting Pot," CEPR Discussion Papers 2924, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
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    Cited by:

    1. Agar Brugiavini & Carlo Carraro & Matija Kovacic, 2014. "Academic Achievements: Grades versus Duration," Working Papers 2014:13, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
    2. Daniele CHECCHI & Gabriella PRAVETTONI, 2003. "Self-esteem and educational attainment," Departmental Working Papers 2003-30, Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods at Università degli Studi di Milano.
    3. Lorenzo Cappellari, 2004. "High school types, academic performance and early labour market outcomes," CHILD Working Papers wp03_04, CHILD - Centre for Household, Income, Labour and Demographic economics - ITALY.
    4. Giorgio Pietro, 2013. "Military conscription and university enrolment: evidence from Italy," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 26(2), pages 619-644, April.
    5. Giorgio Brunello & Lorenzo Rocco, 2008. "Educational Standards in Private and Public Schools," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 118(533), pages 1866-1887, November.
    6. Giorgio Brunello & Daniele Checchi, 2004. "School Vouchers Italian Style," Giornale degli Economisti, GDE (Giornale degli Economisti e Annali di Economia), Bocconi University, vol. 63(3-4), pages 357-399, December.
    7. Gabriele Ballarino & Michela Braga & Massimiliano Bratti & Daniele Checchi & Antonio Filippin & Carlo V. Fiorio & Marco Leonardi & Elena Meschi & Francesco Scervini, 2013. "GINI Country Report: Growing Inequalities and their Impacts in Italy," GINI Country Reports italy, AIAS, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies.
    8. König, Tobias & Lausen, Tobias & Wagener, Andreas, 2016. "Image concerns and the political economy of publicly provided private goods," Discussion Papers, Research Unit: Market Behavior SP II 2016-214, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    9. Friedrichsen, Jana & König, Tobias & Lausen, Tobias, 2021. "Social Status Concerns and the Political Economy of Publicly Provided Private Goods," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 131(633), pages 220-246.
    10. Lorenzo Cappellari & Claudio Lucifora & Dario Pozzoli, 2012. "Determinants of grades in maths for students in economics," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(1), pages 1-17, February.
    11. Giuseppe Bertola & Daniele Checchi & Veruska Oppedisano, 2007. "Private School Quality in Italy," Giornale degli Economisti, GDE (Giornale degli Economisti e Annali di Economia), Bocconi University, vol. 66(3), pages 375-400, November.
    12. Brunello, Giorgio & Rocco, Lorenzo, 2004. "Diploma No Problem: Can Private Schools Be of Lower Quality than Public Schools?," IZA Discussion Papers 1336, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Sara Filipiak & Beata Łubianka, 2021. "On the Rocky Road to Independence: Big Five Personality Traits and Locus of Control in Polish Primary School Students during Transition into Early Adolescence," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-20, April.
    14. Paolo Buonanno & Dario Pozzoli, 2007. "Risk Aversion and College Subject," Working Papers (-2012) 0707, University of Bergamo, Department of Economics.
    15. Daniele Checchi, 2003. "The Italian educational system: family background and social stratification," Departmental Working Papers 2003-01, Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods at Università degli Studi di Milano.

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    JEL classification:

    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General

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