Fairness in Skill Acquisition

Abstract

In this paper we try to determine which policy implements fairness in the distribution of educational outcomes, in a framework in which skills arise from the combination of circumstances, effort and transfers, and determine individual utility. Our definition of fairness relies on two ethical principles, liberal reward and compensation, which have been well defined and studied by many authors in the last decade, and is linked to the philosophical debate that, since the late '60, has debated about the meaning of educational opportunities. According to this definition, to be fair an allocation should remove inequalities not due to individuals' responsibility.