Equal opportunity and educational expansion?

This paper presents a new empirical analysis of the changes in educational inequality in (West)Germany. It is based on the life history data of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and Education in Berlin (cohorts 1919-21, 1929-31, 1939-41, 1949-51, 1954-56 and 1959-61) which allows an exact reconstruction of the interviewees' school careers. Concerning the effects of social origin, we observe a decline of inequality over cohorts. This is true for the decision to attend a middle or upper secondary school (boys and girls) as well as for completion of an occupational qualification (girls) but not for the decision between a middle and an upper secondary school. Concerning the effects of region, we observe a declining difference between the choice of schooltype after primary education in cities and in the country. But the differences between north and south remain for this decision. The difference between city and country reverses for the occupational qualification of girls: For the younger cohorts, the girls living in cities are less likely to finish occupational training.