“It’s not about the grades!” On Shadow Education in Denmark and How Parents Wish to Help Their Children Get Ahead

Abstract

This article is about shadow education in Denmark. Based on qualitative interview data with families that purchase private supplementary tutoring, we analyse how this tutoring is related to child-rearing strategies in the families. With theoretical inspiration from Annette Lareau, we analyse the parents’ involvement in their children’s education as aspects of concerted cultivation. With the concept parentocracy, we shed light on the role parents’ wealth and wishes play in their children’s educational life. Finally, we look to contemporary educational youth research and the concept performance culture, to address implications such as stress, pressure, competitiveness, and a strong focus on grades among students in Danish upper secondary education.