ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how broader characteristics of education systems affect the relationship between funding and equity. It describes how differently targeted funding and system structures can influence equity, and why increasing targeted funds does not always lead to more equitable outcomes. Systems which focus on early intervention, with judicious use of targeted interventions are likely to be more equitable and more cost-effective than systems which emphasise compensatory mechanisms. This chapter also examines the relationship between private school systems and equity at system and individual levels. It argues that widely used Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development definitions of public and private schools are inadequate and often misleading. They contribute to a poor evidence base which often understates the link between private systems and inequity. Better indicators are needed, as is consideration of the longer-term impact of private schools on society.
