who gets to learn mathematics and the nature of the mathematics that is learned have an impact on education systems social cohesion and productivity education systems that fail to provide the same opportunities to all students can end up reinforcing rather than beginning to dismantle social inequalities when education is no longer a pathway to individual fulfilment and social mobility talent is wasted and feelings of injustice grow failing disadvantaged youth at school can also pave the way for a wide range of social problems later on including poverty poor health and crime schoenfeld oecd