Social Movement in Undeveloped Markets: an apparent contradiction

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Abstract
This paper considers two aspects of the market reforms in secondary education in Wales since the Education Reform Act 1988: parental choice of schools and its impact on patterns of social segregation between schools. The data come from two separate projects—a study by survey and interview of school choice in 800 families and a study via secondary analysis of social segregation in 81 schools. These have led to an apparent contradiction, especially when laid beside the much larger body of work on the process of choice in England. In Wales, school choice is not found to be as significant nor the market as developed as in England for a variety of geographical, economic and cultural reasons. If anything, the market in Wales appears to be pulling schools towards similarity rather than diversity. Schools in Wales are therefore moving towards less social segregation, while most commentators in England and Scotland are suggesting that market reforms will lead to the opposite. Why this should be so is the main discussion point raised by this paper.

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