School choice, parental preferences and segregation- in the case of independent schools in Malmö

Abstract: This master thesis examines if the policy of school choice, which was implemented in the early 1990s, may trigger segregation of different social groups in independent schools in the city of Malmö. The major actors for school choice are the parents, due to their responsibility to choose schools for their children. For the purpose of my research, the major focus lays on the factors that parents consider important when searching for independent schools and how those factors differ among the parents. The theoretical framework of the thesis primarily discusses the quality of education in regard to segregation and the role of parents. Two hypotheses, based on the theoretical framework are stated and guided the discussion within the analytical section. The method utilized in the paper is semi-structured interview. Ten principals of different independent schools in Malmö took part in the interviews. The questions targeted examining the role of parents, factors they consider essential and if they are well-informed about the schools and their programs. The analyzed interview results, combined with the theoretical discussions, indicate that Swedish parents have better chance to choose the best schools compared to parents from different ethnical background. However, neither Swedish parents, nor parents with different ethnical belonging are considered to be well-informed actors who choose independent schools in an informed way.