Topic 2022

Primary School – Check! What’s next?

Not all children in Germany have the same access to education. Social inequalities are already consolidated at the transition from primary to secondary school, with parents with an immigration background and parents of financially disadvantaged children disproportionately often choosing a regular secondary school like Hauptschule or Realschule in Germany instead of a more demanding grammar school (Gymnasium) for their children’s school career.

Parents’ lack of information regarding the different types of schools and what suits their child best may be one reason for this educational inequality. Especially parents with little knowledge of German often have difficulties fully understanding German-language information material handed out by the school. As a result, some educationally disadvantaged parents do not know how best to make this decision for their children. Therefore, we want to consider together how parents can be better equipped to make this critical decision.

How do parents inform themselves about the possible secondary schools for their children?
Do families from different social milieus have different access to the information?
Which existing information options are used and by whom? And how are decisions made about the transition from primary to secondary school?
How can parents be reached outside of school?
How can the children’s wishes be better taken into account?
How can parents with an immigration background or financially disadvantaged parents be mainly addressed (e.g. language offers)?