Non‐promotion or enrolment in a lower track? The influence of social background on choices in secondary education for three cohorts of Dutch pupils

Abstract

Research on educational careers generally regards non‐promotion (grade retention) as harmful for the subsequent educational career. The present study argues that in tracked education systems, such as that in the Netherlands, non‐promotion may appear to be an attractive option for under‐achieving children, especially when the alternative is to enrol in a lower track. We hypothesise that particularly high‐status pupils and their parents will choose non‐promotion over transition to a less demanding educational track. Our analysis is based on three cohorts of Dutch pupils, who started their secondary school careers in 1989, 1993 and 1999, respectively. The findings support our hypothesis that social background has a positive effect on non‐promotion, compared to transition to a lower track. The data do not support our expectation that the attractiveness of non‐promotion increased after the introduction in 1999 of the unpopular pre‐vocational track (VMBO).