D.14. Tracing Inequalities to Foster Democratic Education: The Value of Longitudinal Data

Educational achievement and the acquisition of basic skills are central not only to individual development and employability, but also to democratic participation, social cohesion, and equal opportunity. Despite sustained policy attention, persistent educational inequalities across Europe continue to undermine the principle of equal access to learning and participation.

Longitudinal data represent a powerful but still underused resource for understanding and addressing educational inequality. By following students, cohorts, or schools over time, longitudinal approaches make it possible to identify when achievement gaps emerge, how they evolve, and which institutional and social factors shape learning trajectories - as highlighted in recent scoping and systematic reviews (Campos et al., 2025; Kampylis et al., 2024) and in comparative mapping work (Pavolini et al., 2025).

From a policy perspective, longitudinal evidence also offers a more solid basis for evaluating the long-term impact of educational reforms and interventions aimed at improving basic skills, reducing early school leaving, and promoting equity. Strengthening the use of longitudinal data is essential for designing effective policies.

This panel, proposed by Fondazione per la Scuola as coordinator of the Horizon Project LINEup (Longitudinal Data for INequalities in Education), aims to advance the debate on what drives educational inequalities over time, and how evidence-informed, student-centered policies contribute to more democratic education systems. We welcome theoretical, methodological, and empirical contributions that (a) use longitudinal approaches to analyse inequalities, (b) examine the long-term effects of compensatory or equity-oriented interventions, or (c) reflect on the democratic and policy implications of strengthening longitudinal evidence in education.