Education is one of the most significant building blocks in society, so much so that the United Nations has identified quality education as one of the key building blocks for sustainable development, stating that it enables upward socioeconomic mobility and aids global and local development (United Nations, 2020). Every year there are various studies done on education with the aim of creating more equitable access to education. Though research effort is shown when it comes to trying to improve equity in education, many countries still fall short and lack equitable access to education which impacts overall development. Recently Northern European countries such as Finland, Norway, and Denmark have skyrocketed on the World Economic Forums Advanced Economies Educational Equity list some even surpassing North American countries like Canada that have long held top ten positions on this list. This paper will use a comparative sociological approach to conduct a comparative analysis of education in northern Europe and North America, this research method offers a unique perspective that shines a light on areas where improvement is necessary. The objective of this research is to identify areas of improvement and offer suggestions on how countries can create more equitable access to education with the goal of long-term societal development.
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