Democratization of educational systems, inequality, opportunity, and selection process: a re-examination of the case of France

Figures & data

Figure 1. Fraction of holders of a baccalaureate degree in a generation (%).

Source: Ministry of National Education.

Table 1. Classification of educational levels.

Educational Level
LV	Diploma in vocational education inferior to the baccalaureate level or diploma certifying the end of the first cycle of secondary education.
LIV	Baccalaureate, or a vocational brevet, or another diploma of the same level (second cycle of secondary education, general, technical, or vocational).
LIII	Diploma in higher education, at the minimal level equal to baccalaureate plus 2 years.
LII	Diploma in higher education, at the minimal level equal to baccalaureate plus 3 years.
LI	Diploma in higher education, at the minimal level equal to baccalaureate plus 5 years.

Table 2. Inequality of opportunity within selection for access to level L_IV education. French, from 25 to 65 years old, sons and daughters of land-owning farmers not included.

	Boys		Girls
	Average rate of access (%) xj	Inequality coefficient ag(LIV)	Average rate of access (%) xj	Inequality coefficient ag(LIV)
1910–1929	14	0.69	9	0.85
1930–1939	19	0.73	15	0.74
1940–1949	27	0.72	24	0.71
1950–1959	26	0.75	31	0.73
1960–1969	35	0.73	41	0.67
1970–1979	56	0.72	65	0.60

Source: FQP surveys by INSEE for 1970, 1977, 1985, 1993, 2003.

Table 3. Inequality of opportunity within selection for access to level L_III education. French, from 25 to 65 years old, sons and daughters of land-owning farmers not included.

	Boys		Girls
	Average rate of access (%) xj	Inequality coefficient ag(LIII)	Average rate of access (%) xj	Inequality coefficient ag(LIII)
1910–1929	6	0.86	4	1.06
1930–1939	9	0.85	6	0.91
1940–1949	15	0.77	13	0.82
1950–1959	15	0.79	17	0.76
1960–1969	21	0.77	24	0.71
1970–1979	37	0.77	44	0.60

Source: FQP surveys by INSEE for 1970, 1977, 1985, 1993, 2003.

Figure 2. Inequality within selection for access to the various percentile ranks of population. French boys, from 25 to 65 years old, sons of land-owning farmers not included.

Source: FQP surveys by INSEE for 1970, 1977, 1985, 1993, 2003.

Note: Curve 1970–1979 shows that inequality of access to the top 85% of the school population is equal to 0.69, while inequality of access to the top 10% is equal to 0.78.

Figure 3. Inequality within selection for access to the various percentile ranks of population. French girls, from 25 to 65 years old, daughters of land-owning farmers not included.

Source: FQP Surveys by INSEE for 1970, 1977, 1985, 1993, 2003.

Note: Curve 1970–1979 shows that inequality of access to the top 90% of the school population is equal to 0.59, while inequality of access to the top 10% is equal to 0.66.

Figure A1. Virtual opportunity distributions.