Transcript

NARRATOR:

The capabilities approach proposes a fundamental shift away from seeing income and wealth as markers of success. Instead, the focus is on widening the actual opportunities that a person has to develop capabilities which will expand their choice of functioning. So it’s not what objects of convenience does a person have, but rather, can a person attain the ends that they value?

Capabilities are the opportunities that individuals have to realise different functionings that they value. Capabilities then lie in the idea of agency. This is the freedom and opportunity with which an individual can act to bring about changes they value.

An education system may also need to provide basic resources, such as suitably prepared and motivated teachers, appropriate learning materials, a curriculum relevant to the cultural context, an accessible built environment, and possibly nutrition. Economic, cultural, and political barriers can hold back disadvantaged groups, such as minority ethnic, disabled, or girl learners. In addition, one person’s freedom can be another’s problem. For example, the freedom of industry to pollute the environment.

The capability approach is currently still in its infancy and has limited expression outside of academia. Identifying universal, core, basic capabilities against which inequalities can be evaluated and governments held to account may be useful but, as yet, there is no consensus.