Educational Trajectories of the Children of Migrants in Switzerland

Andrés Gomensoro, Université de Lausanne and Haute Ecole Spécialisée de Suisse Occidental
Laura Bernardi, Université de Lausanne

The Swiss educational system is considered highly unequal (OCDE 2013). Educational attainment and educational trajectories of children differ greatly according to migrant status and ethnic origin. This paper asks what educational attainment is correlated to which kind of educational pathway and why certain ethnic groups take educational paths that lead to lower-value certifications (or none) instead of tertiary education? We rely on both quantitative and qualitative data sources to address these issues. First, we draw on the longitudinal data base “Transition from school to employment” (TREE) to study differential distribution in educational pathways by ethnic origin through sequence analysis of post-compulsory educational paths. Second, we analyze 50 biographic interviews of children of migrants to identify principal determinants of educational pathways. Preliminary findings show the important effect of the tracking system, the influence of parents and family members, and the importance of individual educational aspirations on educational outcomes.