Abstract
This article examines how education systems in post-socialist countries contribute to social reproduction and the perpetuation of class-based inequalities. Drawing on Bourdieu’s theoretical framework, the study analyses education reform trajectories in Romania, the Czech Republic, and Hungary, focusing on how marketisation and tracking mechanisms affect educational equity.
Key Findings
- Market-oriented education reforms have widened socioeconomic achievement gaps in all three countries
- Early academic tracking disproportionately channels children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds into vocational streams
- Cultural capital transmission through families explains much of the persistent educational inequality
- Private tutoring has become a significant mechanism of advantage for middle-class families
Methodology
Quantitative analysis of PISA data combined with qualitative interviews with teachers, parents, and education policy actors in the three countries.
Implications
The findings argue for comprehensive education equity policies that address both structural factors (tracking, school choice, funding) and cultural mechanisms (parental engagement, cultural capital) of educational reproduction.
