In this paper the authors examine the role the Dutch gymnasium continues to play in the institutional maintenance of educational inequality. To that end they examine the relational and spatial features of state-sponsored elite education in the Dutch system: the unique identity the gymnasium seeks to cultivate; its value to its consumers; its…

In this article we discuss processes of internal differentiation that have characterised European higher education systems in the last 50 years. We argue that these processes have gone through two main stages and in two different directions, each of which is showing its limits in the long run. Therefore, we expect a third stage of differentiation,…

Examines the accessibility of higher education in nine western European countries in terms of selectivity and affordability. Finds much variation in relative selectivity, ranging from strong entrance selection procedures (Finland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) to those with open systems (Austria, Belgium-Flanders, and the Netherlands). Finds…