ABSTRACT
EQUITY, ENTITLEMENT AND NEEDS In Chapter 4, we explained that a central question in evaluating decentralisation is related to issues of equity: ‘who benefits?’. We recognise that equity entails asking questions not only about the distribution of educational opportunity between social groups, but also within social groups, and further, that concern with disparities within and between social groups must not overlook the needs of individuals. Because of different needs, a commitment to greater equity can mean the acceptance as well as the rejection of some diversity: judging what to accept or reject will involve the moral reasoning to which we referred in Chapter 4.
