In some countries, improvements in access to and Ihe quality of education for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds have weakened the relationship between socio-economic background and skills proficiency among younger adults. In others, the ways in which skills are developed and used later in life may reinforce initial social disparities. For example, in some contexts access to school may be closely related to social background while subsequent skills development may primarily reflect an individual's ability, irrespective of his or her social background.