Inequality in educational attainment - Choice, academic performance and social settings

INEQUALITY IN EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT - CHOICE, ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND SOCIAL SETTINGS. A main point in research on social inequality in educational attainment has been the tendency for social origin to affect educational choice, even among students who have received equal grades. This article studies the basis on which the choice to continue into secondary level education is made, and, more specifically, whether or not students leaving elementary school tend to choose the academic track of secondary schooling. The data are from Oslo and include all elementary school leavers in the years 2001-2003. The question raised is whether the social origin of these school leavers has any bearing on their choice, and whether there are differences by area in Oslo, when those who are similar with respect to social origin and educational performance are compared. The results show that there are large differences in choice. Both social and geographic origins affect choice, even when students with equal levels of educational performance are compared. The social and geographic inequalities are greater among majority students than in the population at large, i.e. including immigrants. Inequalities of educational choice within Oslo cannot therefore be explained by the characteristics of the immigrant population, as is often assumed.