Abstract:

For Russian education, one of its current problems is the growth of educational failure. Lagging academic achievements of a growing part of students in schools, colleges, and universities from the expectations and needs of educational institutions and society as a whole is becoming a noticeable trend in the XXI century. There are a number of factors that influence this process. Among these factors are the influence of the family, the impact on students of educational institutions where they study, the social environment, and economic reasons. A lot depends not only on objective circumstances, but also on the students themselves, their educational motivation, readiness to study, self-education, and desire to achieve goals.

One of the important and insufficiently studied factors that influence educational failure is educational inequality. It means that there are not only academic but also social differences between students in schools and universities. Educational failure, in contrast to academic failure, is characterized by a certain social context that shows social inequality in education between different groups of students.

The purpose of this work is to study educational inequality and its links with the educational failure of students. The object of research is school and University students. The subject of the research is the nature and features of the relationship between educational inequality and educational failure.

The following methods were used in the study:
1. Analysis of statistical data.
2. Semi-formal expert interview. Experts were specialists in the field of school and higher education (n=34).
3. Surveys of teachers on the problems of students' educational motivation and their readiness to study at the University.
4. Focus groups with school and college and university students.
5. Secondary analysis of data from previous studies of educational success/failure of students.

Main results of the study. The article presents the interpretation of students' educational failure and its main indicators. The essence and manifestations of educational inequality in Russian educational institutions are defined. The nature of the relationship between socio-economic and educational inequality of students is revealed. Status differences between groups of successful and unsuccessful students are shown. Features of the relationship between educational inequality and educational failure are considered. We characterize separate groups of unsuccessful schoolchildren and students from problematic families, both economically and morally. The article focuses on ways to overcome the educational failure of students by providing financial and economic support to both themselves and their families. The problem of weakening the sharp differentiation of educational communities, taking into account the peculiarities of the social context of educational institutions and social cohesion of school classes and student groups is raised.

As a conclusion, we note the need for a positive solution to such problems, which will be of great practical importance for the successful work of schools, colleges, and universities. The question is raised about the expediency of special state support for problem groups of students experiencing economic, social, moral difficulties and risks in order to overcome educational failure.

Keywords:

Educational failure, educational inequality, schools, colleges, universities, students.