Przestrzenne nierówności oferty edukacyjnej w zdecentralizowanym systemie oświaty. Przypadek Polski
Territorial inequity in the decentralised education system of educational inputs. Evidence from Poland

Summary/Abstract: Decentralisation of education, as for any other public service, is associated with the risk of increasing spatial inequality with respect to the inputs and the quality of the service. Most countries try to prevent a rise in inequality by establishing national standards for educational services and through redistribution of financial resources for neutralisation of the effect of an uneven local tax base. This study investigates the effectiveness of these measures in Poland. Using panel data at a municipal level, it was shown that, despite the various compensatory instruments employed by central government, the local tax base significantly influences local spending on lower secondary schools. Average teaching time and additional services offered to students in the poorest with the most affluent Polish municipalities were compared. The findings showed that teaching time in the rich and poor local school systems did not significantly vary. There was no significant difference in the mean teacher hourly wage. The more affluent and poorer municipalities do however differ with respect to individual support and additional services offered to students.

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