The Reputation of Primary Schools—Rumours with Consequences for Segregation

ILS researcher Isabel Ramos Lobato and Andreas Wettlaufer (Ruhr-Universität Bochum) have published an article in the journal Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie. Taking up previous research, the article uses a mixed-methods design to investigate how the reputations of primary schools are established in discourses in a German neighbourhood in North Rhine-Westphalia and what role they play in school choice. It becomes clear that, in contrast to previous studies, the reputations of the local schools generally reflect their composition. Even if this does not mean that reliable conclusions about a school’s quality can actually be drawn from it, reputation is a very important school selection criterion across all social groups. Nevertheless, perceptions of individual primary schools vary in line with parents’ educational qualifications, contributing to school segregation. https://doi.org/10.1111/tesg.70060. Weitere aktuelle Fachpublikationen finden Sie here.