Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Frictions Between Formal Education Policy and Actual School Choice: Case Studies in an International Comparative Perspective

  • Published:
International Review of Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This contribution is based on comparative case studies of secondary schools in England, the Netherlands and Scotland. The authors conclude that although opportunities for school choice are offered in a formal sense in each of the locations studied, in certain cases choice is not particularly encouraged. In order to explain this disparity between formal education policy and actual school choice, they identified seven areas of friction which determine school choice. This approach allowed a more detailed and accurate view of the operation of school choice on a local, day-to-day basis. Active or passive discouragement of choice became apparent in factors such as availability of transport and information; bureaucratic procedures; strictly enforced admission criteria; and lack of educational diversity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Nick Adnett Davies Peter (2000) ArticleTitleCompetition and Curriculum Diversity in Local Schooling Markets: Theory and Evidence Journal of Education Policy 15 IssueID2 157–167 Occurrence Handle10.1080/026809300285872

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mike Adler (1997) ArticleTitleLooking Backwards to the Future: Parental Choice and Education Policy British Education Research 23 IssueID3 297–313

    Google Scholar 

  • Agerbeek Marjan. (1999). Keuzegids Middelbare Scholen. Kiezen voor Kwaliteit [Guide to middle schools. Quality indicators]. Zeist: Uitgeverij Kerckebosch

  • Chris Bagley (1996) ArticleTitleBlack and White Unite or Flight? The Racialised Dimension of Schooling and Parental Choice British Educational Research Journal 22 IssueID5 569–580

    Google Scholar 

  • Stephen Ball (1993) ArticleTitleEducation Markets, Choice and Social Class: The Market as a Class Strategy in the UK and the USA British Journal of Sociology of Education 14 IssueID1 3–19

    Google Scholar 

  • Carol Campbell (2000) ArticleTitleAn Analysis of a “Scottish Dimension” in the Development of School-based Management Scottish Educational Review 32 IssueID1 4–20

    Google Scholar 

  • John Chubb Moe Tom (1990) Politics, Markets and America’s Schools Brookings Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Geert Driessen Slik Frans van der (2001) ArticleTitleReligion, Denomination, and Education in the Netherlands: Cognitive and Noncognitive Outcomes after an Era of Secularisation Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 40 IssueID4 561–572 Occurrence Handle10.1111/0021-8294.00077

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frank Echols J Douglas Willms (1993) Scottish Parents and Reasons for School Choice University of British Columbia Vancouver

    Google Scholar 

  • Frank Echols McPherson Andrew J Douglas Willms (1990) ArticleTitleParental Choice in Scotland Journal of Education Policy 5 IssueID3 207–222

    Google Scholar 

  • Tony Edwards Whitty Geoff (1992) ArticleTitleParental Choice and Educational Reform in Britain and the United States British Journal of Educational Studies 40 IssueID2 101–117

    Google Scholar 

  • Gewirtz Sharon Ball Stephen Bowe Richard (1993a) ArticleTitleParents, Privilege and the Educational Market-place Research Papers in Education 9 IssueID1 3–29

    Google Scholar 

  • Gewirtz Sharon Ball Stephen Bowe Richard (1993b) ArticleTitleValues and Ethics in the Education Market Place: The Case of Northwark Park International Studies in Sociology of Education 3 IssueID2 233–254

    Google Scholar 

  • Gewirtz Sharon Ball Stephen Bowe Richard (1995) Markets, Choice and Equity in Education Open University Press Buckingham

    Google Scholar 

  • Glenn Charles (1989) Choice of Schools in Six Nations United States Department of Education Washington DC

    Google Scholar 

  • David Gillborn (1997) ArticleTitleRacism and Reform: New Ethnicities/Old Inequalities? British Educational Research Journal 23 IssueID3 345–360

    Google Scholar 

  • Gorard Stephen (2000) ArticleTitleQuestioning the Crisis Account: A Review of Evidence for Increasing Polarisation in Schools Educational Research 42 IssueID3 309–321 Occurrence Handle10.1080/001318800440623

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gorard Stephen Taylor Chris Fitz John (2002) ArticleTitleDoes School Choice Lead to “Spirals of Decline?” Journal of Educational Policy 17 IssueID3 367–384 Occurrence Handle10.1080/02680930210127612

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holmes, Mark, Jeffrey DeSimone, Nicolas Rupp. (2003). Does School Choice Increase School Quality? Available at: http://www.ncspe.org/list-papers.php,accessed 23 December 2003

  • Lee Valerie Croninger Robert Smith Julia (1996) Equity and Choice in Detroit Fuller Bruce Elmore Richard (Eds) Choice and Control in American Education Falmer Press New York 70–91

    Google Scholar 

  • Nathan, Joe. 1993. President Clinton, School Choice, and Education Reform in the 1990s. Education Excellence Network (January): 22–27.

  • InstitutionalAuthorNameNottinghamshire County Council (NCC) (1994) Going to School in Nottinghamshire: A Guide to the Education Service for the School Year 1994–1995 NCC Nottingham

    Google Scholar 

  • Parker-Jenkins, Marie, and Daniel Hartas. 2002. In Good Faith: A Critique of Religious Schools and Public Funding. Paper presented at the European Conference on Educational Research, Lisbon, Portugal, 11–14 September.

  • Stewart Ranson (1993) ArticleTitleMarkets or Democracy for Education British Journal of Educational Studies 41 IssueID4 333–352

    Google Scholar 

  • Raywid, Mary Anne. 1987. Public Choice: Yes; Vouchers, No! Phi Delta Kappan 67 (June), 762–769.

  • InstitutionalAuthorNameScottish Office Education Department (SOED) (1995) The Parents’ Charter in Scotland SOED Edinburgh

    Google Scholar 

  • Scottish Office Education Department (SOED). 2002. Placing in Education Authority Schools in Scotland, 1988–2002. Available at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins, accessed 12 January 2004.

  • Teelken Christine. 1998. Market Mechanisms in Education: An International Comparative Study in the Netherlands, England and Scotland. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Amsterdam.

  • Christine Teelken (1999) ArticleTitleMarket Mechanisms in Education. School Choice in The Netherlands, England and Scotland in a Comparative Perspective Comparative Education 35 IssueID3 283–302 Occurrence Handle10.1080/03050069927838

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tenbusch, John, and Michael Garet. 1993. Organizational Change at the Local School Level under Minnesota’s Open Enrollment Program. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Education Research Association, April.

  • Tomlinson Sally (1997) ArticleTitleDiversity, Choice and Ethnicity: The Effects of Educational Markets on Ethnic Minorities Oxford Review of Education 23 IssueID1 63–76

    Google Scholar 

  • Tooley James (1997) ArticleTitleChoice and Diversity in Education: A Defence Oxford Review of Education 23 IssueID1 103–116

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Dyck, Marjan. (ed.). 2001. Onderwijs in de Markt [Education in the market]. Den Haag: Onderwijsraad.

  • Walford Geoffrey (1994) Choice and Diversity in Education Cassell London

    Google Scholar 

  • Walford Geoffrey (1997) ArticleTitleDiversity, Choice and Selection in England and Wales Educational Administrative Quarterly 33 IssueID2 158–169

    Google Scholar 

  • White Patrick Gorard Stephen Fitz John Taylor Chris (2001) ArticleTitleRegional and Local Differences in Admission Arrangements for Schools Oxford Review of Education 27 IssueID3 317–337 Occurrence Handle10.1080/03054980120067384

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitty Geoff (2001) ArticleTitleEducation, Social Class and Social Exclusion Journal of Education Policy 16 IssueID4 287–295

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitty Geoff Power Sally (1997) ArticleTitleQuasi-markets and Curriculum Control: Making Sense of Recent Education Reform in England and Wales Educational Administration Quarterly 33 IssueID2 219–241

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitty Geoff Power Sally Halpin David (1998) Devolution and Choice in Education Open University Press Buckingham

    Google Scholar 

  • Woods Phillip (1992) ArticleTitleEmpowerment through Choice? Towards an Understanding of Parental Choice and School Responsiveness Educational Management and Administration 20 IssueID4 204–211

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Management Sciences, Nijmegen School of Management, University of Nijmegen, 9108, 6500, HK, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Christine Teelken

  2. Institute for Applied Social Sciences, University of Nijmegen, 9048, 6500, KJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Geert Driessen & Frederik Smit

Authors
  1. Christine Teelken
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Geert Driessen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Frederik Smit
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christine Teelken.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Teelken, C., Driessen, G. & Smit, F. Frictions Between Formal Education Policy and Actual School Choice: Case Studies in an International Comparative Perspective. Int Rev Educ 51, 35–58 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-005-0590-0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-005-0590-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation