Reasons for school choice in Scotland

Abstract

This study examines the reasons a sample of Scottish parents gave for rejecting their designated secondary school and choosing a different one. A consistent theme in the findings is the importance of parental socio‐economic status (SES). It was related to the reasons for rejecting the local school and for selecting a different school, and to the degree of importance accorded different sources of information. Reasons pertaining to social and reputational factors and to disciplinary climate were the dominant themes for both rejection and selection of secondary schools. The academic quality of the school was of lesser importance. The results suggest that an educational marketplace that parallels the free‐market model works only for a limited subgroup of the population that is already advantaged in the present educational system.