Conference Program

The availability of public schooling across educational levels, generally sufficient to meet demand, together with the consolidation in the scientific literature of growing attention to non-economic determinants of access to education—often more incisive than strictly financial constraints—and the increase in disposable household income despite overall income stagnation, have contributed to marginalising the issue of the direct costs of education within the debate on educational inequalities. Moreover, weak labour demand, which particularly disadvantages younger cohorts, has reduced the opportunity cost of remaining in education, thereby reshaping the cost–benefit calculus associated with continued participation in the educational system.

However, in light of theoretical approaches that interpret inequalities as the outcome of the interaction between material resources, socio-cultural capital, and structures of opportunity, the economic dimension cannot be considered residual. First, while the costs of education may not constitute a barrier to access when considered in isolation, they can operate in combination with other constraints, reinforcing cumulative mechanisms of disadvantage. Second, they may shape educational choices, particularly in inner or peripheral areas, where certain tracks entail high transportation costs or the need to study away from home, as well as in the case of schools requiring the purchase of costly materials. Third, the significant gap between the minimum and maximum expenditures associated with school attendance—even when limiting the analysis to expenses strictly related to public education (e.g., school trips, additional textbooks, materials, digital devices, etc.)—may affect not only effective opportunities but also the symbolic and motivational dimensions of the educational experience. From this perspective, costs contribute to shaping the set of educational capabilities effectively available to students.

This paper aims to conduct a systematic review based on secondary sources in order to estimate the cost of education throughout the period of compulsory schooling (ages 4–18), considering different scenarios—geographical location, use of school meals, full-time attendance, chosen field of study, etc.—and different types of households. In a subsequent phase, the study intends to explore, through qualitative research directly involving upper secondary school students, the real and perceived economic barriers that influence educational choices and persistence.

The findings are expected to provide an empirical basis for further investigation, both in terms of strengthening the robustness of the evidence and of analysing more closely the mechanisms through which economic constraints interact with other dimensions of inequality. More directly, they aim to contribute to a theoretically informed reflection on the policies most likely to enhance equity in educational opportunities and to reduce the impact of economic factors on access to and outcomes of education.