Research Symposium

BIO

Meher Irani is a second-year student majoring in Accounting and Finance in the Honors program at Florida State University. Passionate about research, Meher Irani is currently working on a project titled Educational Privatization and School Choice through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program. Their research focuses on analyzing the impacts of public and private education on test scores and access for vulnerable populations. Through this experience, they have gained valuable skills in data analysis, academic research, and policy evaluation. Meher Irani looks forward to applying these insights to future studies and professional opportunities in Accounting and Finance.

A Comparative Analysis of Equity in Public and Private Schools in the United States and the Global South

Abstract

The goal of this project was to conduct a comparative analysis of equity in
public and private schools in the United States and the Global South.
Understanding these effects is needed for shaping education policies that
promote equitable opportunities for all students in the United States and
the Global South. The database I used elicited articles on the themes of
student performance variations in private schools compared to public
schools. I also found articles on different policies framing student
performance and different policies. By analyzing this data, the research
aims to identify a pattern in educational equity and the implications of
privatization. In the Global South, privatization provides few chances for
certain underprivileged groups while also escalating systemic injustices,
but in the United States, it tends to deepen socioeconomic divides. These
results highlight the necessity of well-rounded educational policies making
sure that privatization enhances rather than detracts from public education
systems.

Keywords: Education, Privatization, Equity