The paper presents the results of a study mapping the process of choosing a specialty class by parents whose child is entering primary school in urban Czechia. A constructivist grounded theory approach was implemented to clarify why and how parents choose such classes.
The main data collection method involved 24 in -depth interviews with middle -class parents interested in specialty classes, teachers and district representatives. "Parents' concerns about the public schools" emerged as an important category for explaining the examined process. Following are suggestions on how the Czech public schools could approach the parents' anxieties while simultaneously protecting the interest of all pupils.