The role of geography in school segregation in the free parental choice context of Dutch cities

Abstract

School segregation and residential segregation are generally highly correlated. Cities in the Netherlands are considered to be moderately segregated residentially, while the educational landscape is choice-based but publicly funded. This article analyses how school and residential segregation are interrelated in the educational landscape of Dutch cities. Drawing on individual register data about all primary school pupils in the 10 largest cities, it demonstrates that segregation by ethnicity and social class is generally high, but that the patterns differ strongly between cities. By hypothetically allocating children to the nearest schools, this article demonstrates that even in a highly choice-based school context school segregation is to a large extent the effect of residential patterns. The role of residential trends, notably gentrification, is therefore crucial for understanding the differences in current trends of school segregation across Dutch urban contexts.