Inequalities exist in all aspects of life. The nature and consequences of these inequalities shape our social and economic life. As individuals progress through their educational lives, some inequalities will result in different educational outcomes across groups of people. “In post-war Britain, working-class students consistently achieve fewer academic qualifications, are under-represented in higher education and find themselves in jobs with few opportunities for social advancement » ; (Brown 1987 p11). It is such inequalities, present both in and out of school, that will determine individuals' life chances. It is commonly believed that education is the main determinant of a person's future situation. Certain experiences at different stages of the educational life cycle will therefore have an effect on life chances. This essay will examine these incoming and outgoing factors and how, at different stages of the life cycle, they affect life chances. One of the main factors contributing to life chances is education. What a person achieves during their academic career reveals many inequalities. There is a long-standing trend in employment where people from working class backgrounds are moving into occupations that are manual or low-skilled in nature. Conversely, those from the middle class tend to orient themselves more towards administrative and/or professional professions. Despite government reforms aimed at limiting educational inequality and the effect of class differences, but as trends in employment and educational achievement persist, there is still a strong link between social class and chances in life. The school system has been considered by certain Marxist authors who believe that "the school is above all a means of reproducing the existing structure of social and economic inequalities"; (Brown 1987 p15). In this way, it can be affirmed that the way in which children are educated does not remove or reinforce current inequalities, but only increases them. Examining school leaving ages can particularly illustrate this phenomenon. To access more prestigious jobs, higher qualifications are generally required, while manual and low-skilled work does not require an equivalent level of qualification. According to Courntney...... middle of article ...... student, this will be passed on to the student, resulting in lower student achievement. So there are many factors inside and outside of school that can affect life chances. . The contribution of these factors is mainly due to the inequalities that exist within them. First, one of the main factors is social class. This constitutes a disadvantage for the lower classes who, throughout their university career, will suffer due to their social origin. Additionally, rejection and failure to respond to school are linked to social class but act in a way to shape students' attitudes such that they feel that school has nothing to offer and find themselves with worse chances in life than those who accept school and strive to achieve it. the highest possible goals. Gender also plays an important role in life chances, as boys and girls not only tend to perform differently in school, but also obtain different qualifications that lead to different professions. Finally, ethnicity functions in a way that again disadvantages ethnic minorities who may be excluded.