PARENTAL CONSIDERATIONS WHEN CHOOSING HIGH SCHOOLS FOR THEIR CHILDREN

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to examine the pattern of parental choice of high schools for their children, bearing in mind their socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. A representative heterogeneous sample of parents of 220 8th grade boys and girls, who served as the research sample in the study, responded to the Parental Choice of School Scale. Statistical analyses of the results indicate that middle and upper-middle socioeconomic status parents of Western ethnic origin are characterised by parental choice based on intrinsic parental resources as well as on high level school prestige. Parents from the lower-middle and lower socioeconomic status and of Oriental ethnic origin were typified by parental choice of high schools based on extrinsic parental resources without the school prestige factor being taken into account. Parents of heterogeneous socioeconomic status and of Mixed ethnic origin took a “middle of the road” attitude and were characterised by parental choice of high schools that integrated the choices typifying parents of Western and Oriental ethnic origin.