Exploring inequality in high school transitions within an evolving high school system: Using the effectively maintained inequality theory

Abstract

Using a nationally representative data in South Korea, this study investigates educational inequality in high school transition in Korea's recently reformed high school system from the effectively maintained inequality (EMI) perspective. Specifically, this study contextualizes qualitative distinctions within Korea's diversified high school system and hypothesizes that students from high socioeconomic status (SES) maintain their advantages by moving upwardly in the stratified high school hierarchy (Andrew, 2017). The results show that high-SES students have institutional advantages by transitioning upwardly in the stratified high school system at similar or even lower academic achievement. Specifically, low-achieving but high-SES students have a higher probability of entering special-purpose high schools, which are selective institutions for gifted students, than high-achieving but low-SES students. In contrast, socioeconomically disadvantaged students are placed lower in the school hierarchy despite similar or higher academic achievement. Overall, this study underscores the significance of affording greater protection to socioeconomically disadvantaged students to support their school selection process.