Who Chooses Single Sex Schooling and Why? Evidence from Ireland

Jose G. Clavel, Darragh Flannery

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

A common decision parents face is the choice of school for their children. In Ireland, somewhat uniquely in an international context, this choice includes a large number of state-funded single-sex schools, to the point that this can be considered a realistic option for many parents. Focusing on secondary-level education and using the PISA 2018 dataset, we examine whether different parental attitudes help explain the selection of single-sex versus coeducational schools in Ireland. Focusing on those households that have a degree of choice in secondary school selection, we find that parents who place a greater emphasis on factors such as religious ethos and academic achievement rather than subject choice or the climate of the school tend to have children in single-sex schools. The importance of a school’s academic achievement seems to be particularly relevant for those from higher socioeconomic backgrounds.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)103-117
Number of pages15
JournalJournal of School Choice
Volume17
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

Keywords

  • Ireland
  • parental involvement
  • PISA 2018
  • school choice
  • single-sex school

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