THE ROLE OF EDUCATION IN PERPETUATING OR REDUCING SOCIAL INEQUALITY: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS ACROSS SOCIOECONOMIC GROUPS WITH CASE STUDIES FROM SWEDEN, THE UNITED STATES, AND SOUTH AFRICA

Education is widely considered a central mechanism for social mobility, yet evidence shows that it can also reproduce socioeconomic inequality. This article examines the dual role of education through a comparative analysis of Sweden, the United States, and South Africa, integrating insights from human capital theory, social reproduction theory, and critical political economy. Drawing on large-scale assessment data, policy documents, and household surveys (2018–2023), the study investigates how governance structures, resource allocation, and historical legacies shape the capacity of education systems to mitigate or entrench inequality. Findings indicate that Sweden’s welfare-oriented, centrally coordinated system reduces SES-related disparities, whereas the United States decentralised and market-driven model exacerbates stratification, particularly along racial and economic lines. In South Africa, the persistence of apartheid-era spatial and resource inequalities continues to limit the equalising potential of education. The article concludes that education’s impact on social inequality is contingent on political, economic, and institutional contexts, highlighting the need for deliberate policy interventions to achieve equitable outcomes.