Continuation to upper secondary education in Finland: Children of immigrants and the majority compared

Abstract

The education of children of immigrants is an important aspect of the integration of immigrant groups into receiving societies. This article focuses on the first transition in the Finnish education system. Two aspects of the transition are analysed: continuation versus dropping out and choice of upper secondary school type (general versus vocational).Results suggest that children of immigrants tend to have a higher probability of dropping out of education at this transition than the majority. However, this can largely be explained by prior school achievement and family resources. Controlling for these, only some first generation groups are left disadvantaged. Second generation students with very low prior school achievement or a father outside the labour force also have an increased risk of dropping out. These dropouts may be seen as discouraged students.The picture is more positive for choice of general school. After similar controls, most children of immigrants have a higher probability of choosing general school than the majority. The difference is largest for the non-European 2nd generation and for students with below average prior school achievement. Together with the results for dropout, this points to an avoidance of vocational schools by some ethnic minority groups.

Ethnic choice effects at the transition into upper-secondary education in Switzerland

“…Previous research showed that migrants are more likely to choose academic tracks over vocational alternatives at upper-secondary level given that socio-economic status (SES) and school performance are held constant (Brinbaum and Cebolla-Boado, 2007; Jackson et al, 2012; Jonsson and Rudolphi, 2011; Kilpi-Jakonen, 2011; Van de Werfhorst and Van Tubergen, 2007). Recent European and US studies described ethnic choice effects as a general pattern (e.g.…”

“…However, the existing evidence of ethnic choice effects in upper-secondary education is mainly based on studies in comprehensive educational systems such as Sweden, the UK, the US and Finland. In these contexts, ethnic choice effects were labelled as an ‘immigrant advantage’ and interpreted as a largely positive phenomenon (Jackson, 2012; Jonsson and Rudolphi, 2011; Kilpi-Jakonen, 2011). There remains, however, a lack of evidence on ethnic choice effects in education systems with strong vocational education and training (VET) sectors offering viable alternatives, such as Germany and Switzerland, with the latter being the focus of our study.…”

“…Insights into educational choices at the transition into upper-secondary education can inform policy-making to reduce inequality in education (Heath and Brinbaum, 2014; Heath and Cheung, 2007; Jackson et al, 2007; Kilpi-Jakonen, 2011). Understanding whether migrant groups indeed make different choices and, if they do, which factors explain such differences, provides a starting point for designing possible interventions to reduce educational inequality in settings such as Switzerland which have strong VET sectors.…”

Early tracking and immigrant optimism: a comparative study of educational aspirations among students in disadvantaged schools in Sweden and the Netherlands

“…Yet, children of immigrants tend to exhibit high levels of educational aspirations. When other factors are controlled for, children of immigrants are found to be more likely to make educational transitions (Jackson, 2012 ; Jackson, Jonsson, & Rudolphi, 2012 ), more likely to favor general over vocational educations (Kilpi-Jakonen, 2011 ), and more likely to enter tertiary education (Kristen, Reimer, & Kogan, 2008 ). This phenomenon has been attributed to “immigrant optimism” (Feliciano & Lanuza, 2016 ; Fernández-Reino, 2016 ; Kao & Tienda, 1995 ), even though it is not exclusive to immigrant minorities.…”

Individual, social, and family factors associated with high school dropout among low‐SES youth: Differential effects as a function of immigrant status

“…Finally, studies that considered the differential associations between risk factors and dropout as a function of immigration are scarce. We found only one study examining the differential association between students’ prior achievement, family resources, and dropout among first‐, second‐, and third‐generation students (Kilpi‐Jakonen, ). Results showed that second‐generation low‐achieving students who had a father outside the labour force were more likely to drop out compared to their native peers in a similar situation.…”