Evaluation Note / Bilgi Aslankurt

"Education is one of the key factors that determine the quality of human resources and thus the competitiveness of a country. The steps that will enhance the access to and quality of education can facilitate economic growth by helping make the best use of human capital. By the same token, a good education is critical for an individual born to a low-income family to be able to switch to an upper level of income. In other words, education can be a major tool of intergenerational social mobility.

The stronger the link between the education level of children and their parents, the weaker the chances are for equality of opportunity in education and intergenerational socioeconomic mobility. Equality of opportunity will ensure that the children of parents with low income and a low level of education will access to quality education as much as others do. Seen in this light, it must be the responsibility of policy-makers in Turkey, an ostensibly social state, to eliminate inequality in access to education as a major social service. This evaluation note examines intergenerational social mobility in Turkey compared with OECD countries on the basis of schooling rates and quality of education..."