Does Education Promote Social Mobility?

There has been a significant increase in participation in education in Scotland over the past half century. The question remains, however, whether this expansion has helped to reduce social inequalities in educational attainment and contributed to greater social mobility. Many studies have shown that education and the acquisition of educational qualifications are important means through which middle class families pass on their social and economic advantage to their children. In these circumstances, education, rather than promoting greater social mobility, may in fact reduce it. This Briefing considers these issues, drawing on the main findings from the ESRC-funded research project “Educatio