Individual educational decisions : a study of the low levels of educational attainment in Italy

Abstract

Italy is one of the OECD countries with the lowest levels of educational attainment. This dissertation examines the reasons for this situation through the analysis of the main factors affecting individual educational decisions. Two main approaches are considered: the Structuralist and the Rational Choice Theory. The first emphasises the fundamental role played by external factors, that is family background, the educational system and the labour market, in determining individual educational allocation; the second explains the distribution of educational credentials as the result of individuals* rational evaluation process of the costs and benefits associated to different educational choices. Based on this theoretical framework four main hypotheses are formulated and tested. The first two refer to the constraining effect of individuals’ family background, of tracking in education and of different regional economic development; the other two refer to the occupational benefits an individual gains from reaching different educational qualifications and to subjective expectations of educational success. Linear regression and logit models are the main tools used to analyse the data from the 1985 Italian Mobility Survey. The results indicate that individuals* social class of origin, the tracking system and labour market prospects are very important factors in explaining the low levels of educational attainment in Italy. Gender and regional differences do not emerge as having a significant role in the story. The conclusions highlight that two main elements seem to differentiate Italy from the other countries: the selective effect of tracking which reduces the attainment rates at both upper secondary and tertiary level; and the occupational returns to education which do not give a clear signal about the benefits of investing in education.