Social segregation through "specialty classes" in urban Czechia : Why do middle-class parents avoid their neighborhood school?
Abstract
The paper explores why parents in urban Czechia choose specialized classes in place of a regular class at their local elementary school. Specialized classes, also referred to as classes with a special emphasis, typically function within a regular public school and, unlike other classes at the school, offer a specific educational approach (e.g., Montessori, Waldorf) or extended curricula in certain subjects (e.g., mathematics, languages).
Many characteristics of specialized classes in Czechia overlap with those of elite charter schools in the U.S.: parental involvement opportunities, wait lists, popularity with advantaged professionals, niche themes, and over-representation of advantaged students (Brown & Makris, 2017). In line with studies emphasizing the contextualization of school choice (Bowe, Gewirtz, & Ball, 1994), the present study aims to capture how parents choosing a specialized class in Czech urban settings construct the notion of a desirable school and how the local school market shapes their decisions.