Exclusive boarding schools in social environments where the meritocratic norm is prevalent are faced with a tension between parents' desire to give their children a head start in the competition for educational qualifications, social prestige and jobs on the one hand and the powerful social norm of advancement by merit under conditions of…

Education systems reproduce social inequality based on social class, gender, and minority ethnicity ascriptions, and are organized along national structures. This paper explores, how migration and international mobility shape an individuals scope of possibilities in the context of education. We analyze how societal and institutional possibilities…

This article examines equity in national systems of education in terms of differences in student outcomes, as measured by mathematics achievement scores on Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2003. The author uses four measures for assessing equity in student outcomes: (1) the strength of the relationship between student…

In this article, the author argues that the German education system with its high degree of social selection--above the average in international comparisons--is unable to meet fully the pedagogical challenges posed by migration. To help foreign readers understand this, the social context and its concrete conditions are explained: first, the…

Discusses the difficulties of educational reform in what was formerly East Germany. Describes the educational system in East Germany as uniform and military in nature. Criticizes the one-sidedness of socialist education and its politicalization. Compares classroom atmospheres before and after the Germanies were united. (DK)

Reports on a longitudinal study about social development of approximately 250 German primary school students. Finds that student interaction with peers is the most significant social influence during this period. Describes differences in the ways that boys and girls view social interaction with their classmates. (CFR)

No one would dispute the claim that teacher training in the university and training colleges has long been in urgent need of reform. Even so, nothing is getting done. However, there are some efforts made in North-Rhine/Westphalia, where a committee of experts has recommended a double package consisting of six semesters of specialized studies…