Abstract
Chapter presents a comparative analysis of the Central and Eastern European Countries (Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia) which use early tracking by the school type at lower-secondary school. Using national statistics and literature review we emphasize the proportion of students attending highest track (gymnasia - secondary grammar schools) and its change over last 20 years.
We document, that post-Communist countries use various restrictions to admission to highest track and understand highest track as elitist institution with small intakes, while Germany and Austria has considerably increased the proportion of students in highest track due to increasing parents demand for such schools and declining population growth curve. We also compare the criteria for admission in various countries.