Decentralization is often seen as a means to enhance efficiency and tailor education policies to territorial needs. However, it may also exacerbate inequalities by allowing policy divergence and limiting the redistributive capacity of central governments. The project explores whether decentralization leads to greater policy diversity and whether such diversity explains territorial disparities in educational outcomes.

Objectives

The project addresses three main questions:

1.To what extent does education policy decentralization lead to policy diversity?

2. Does policy diversity contribute to higher territorial inequality in education?

3. Under what conditions does decentralization improve or worsen territorial inequality?

To answer these questions, the project will:

• Develop comparative indices of decentralization and policy variation in education.

• Examine how decentralization influences policy diversity across eight OECD countries (Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland) from 2004 to 2024.

• Use Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and process tracing to determine causal relationships between decentralization, policy variation, and inequality.

Impact and Expected Outcomes

The project will provide the first systematic comparative analysis of the link between decentralization, policy diversity, and territorial inequality in education. It will contribute:

• A dataset on education policy decentralization and territorial diversity, which will be made publicly accessible.

• Three academic articles in high-impact journals.

• Policy briefs and stakeholder workshops to inform policymakers on decentralization’s effects on inequality in education.

  The findings will support evidence-based policymaking, ensuring that decentralization strategies enhance territorial cohesion, social mobility, and democratic stability rather than deepening territorial inequalities.