School choice in German primary schools. How binding are school districts?

Abstract

The paper analyzes school choice in primary schools in Germany. The data used is from Wuppertal, a major city in North-Rhine Westphalia (NRW), where primary school districts existed before 2008. It is shown that it is not uncommon to attend a primary school that is not the assigned public school. Parents choose schools based upon the achievement level and the socioeconomic composition of the school, and upon the distance between the school and their home. Compared to families from advantaged neighborhoods, families from disadvantaged neighborhoods more often send their children to the assigned school. A high percentage of immigrants and/or economically disadvantaged families in the school district is likely to induce parents to choose another school. While advantaged families make choices leading to segregation, the direction of choice is not as clear-cut for disadvantaged families. We found that choice has a negative external effect on the composition of the assigned school and a high level of segregation in primary schools, which exceeds the level of residential segregation. (DIPF/Orig.)

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