Children from one-parent families more likely to switch to lower school type

Eleven percent of pupils in the first year of one of the vocational tracks of preparatory secondary vocational education (vmbo) who did not repeat a year had advanced  to a higher type of education four years later. Conversely, 8 percent of those who did not stay down in the first year of combined education tracks (avo)  switched to a lower type of education. Children from one–parent families and low-income families were more likely to move into a lower type of education.

Relatively many children advance to higher type of education

More than 136 thousand pupils were in the first year of a vocational track of vmbo or a combined track of avo in school year 2003/’04. Eleven percent of pupils in the vocational tracks of vmbo who did not stay down a year or had left secondary education in the period up to school year 2006/’07, had advanced to a higher type of education; mostly to the theoretical or combined track of vmbo.

For the first year pupils in the combined avo classes, 8 percent had moved down to one of the vocational tracks of vmbo after four years.

First-year pupils 2003/’04 by school type in 2006/’07, excluding first year avo/vmbo

Pupils from one-parent families more likely to move down

Relatively many children from one-parent families and low-income move down to a lower type of education after their first year of secondary school. With percentages of 12 and 13 respectively, the share of pupils in these groups moving down was substantially higher than average. Children with wealthier parents were least likely to move down to a lower type of education.

Non-repeating first-year pupils 2003/’04 in a lower type of education in fourth year

More children from wealthier families in higher types of education

For pupils who advance to a higher type of education, there is also a clear correlation with the household situation. Children from families with a higher income, for example, are more likely to advance from a vocational track of vmbo to a higher type of education.

Children from two-parent families are more likely to choose a higher type of education than children from one-parent families. While 12 percent of children form a family with two parents switched from a vocational track of vmbo to a higher track, for children living with one parent this was just under 8 percent.

Non-repeating first-year pupils 2003/’04 in a higher type of education in fourth year

Lieke Stroucken