Social reproduction through specialized classes in Czechia: Why do parents dodge their local school?
Abstract
Specialized classes functioning in several European countries (Finland, Germany, Czechia) have raised concerns about equitable educational access due to their propensity to stratify pupils along socioeconomic lines. These classes popular among middle-class parents typically function within a regular public school and, unlike other classes, offer a specific educational approach (e.g., Montessori, Waldorf) or extended curricula in certain subjects (e.g., mathematics, languages).
The paper explores parental motivation for choosing such classes in urban Czechia with the aim of illuminating how public schools could remain appealing to this group of parents while staying true to their inclusive mission. Guided by the design of constructivist grounded theory, twenty-five interviews with parents interested in specialized classes and with school representatives were completed and continually analyzed in 2018-2020.
The interviews focused on meanings attached to school choice criteria, schools considered, reasons for rejecting the local public school, and the contextual characteristics shaping the choice. The results revealed that parents sought out specialized classes for several assurance mechanisms mitigating their fears associated with public schools: oversight by an external institution, student selection based on aptitude/parents' values, additional resources for hiring teachers, transparency of core values, and openness to parent involvement.
Several policy suggestions emerged from the study that would allow the public schools to leverage middle-class parents' involvement while also promoting collaboration and a sense of belonging among all pupils.