Alicja w krainie nierówności. Recenzja książki Alicji Zawistowskiej: Horyzontalne nierówności edukacyjne we współczesnej Polsce. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar 2012, stron 229
Alice in the Land of Inequality Book review: Alicja Zawistowska, Horyzontalne nierówności edukacyjne we współczesnej Polsce [Horizontal Educational Inequality in Contemporary Poland]. Warsaw: Scholar, 2012, 229 pp.

Summary/Abstract: The author starts with a review of theories of educational inequality formulated during the last half-century. This review is complete and up to date and is therefore a useful resource for researchers and educational policy makers. For the purpose of analysis of empirical data the author has chosen a horizontal approach which examines factors influencing choice between available educational paths. The analyses presented in the book include (a) the impact of social background on middle school choice decisions (whether public or private), (b) determining factors for secondary school choice after completing middle school and (c) choice of university and field of study at tertiary level. Although the findings presented are fragmentary and do not provide a picture of the whole system, the book convincingly supports the benefits of a horizontal approach to understanding and explaining educational inequality in Poland. These shortcomings result from the weakness of the available data which were collected in studies following different methodological perspectives in some cases restricted to local communities. Despite these limitations, the book is a valuable summary of current knowledge about horizontal inequalities in Poland and at the same time identifies areas which require further research.

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