Diversity in education systems, and broader political and economic conditions, are commonly credited with international variation in inequality of educational opportunity (IEO). Comparing
East and West Germany before reunification allows us to investigate whether vastly different political,
economic, and educational systems led to ...
Diversity in education systems, and broader political and economic conditions, are commonly credited with international variation in inequality of educational opportunity (IEO). Comparing
East and West Germany before reunification allows us to investigate whether vastly different political,
economic, and educational systems led to differences in IEO. Postreunification, East Germany adopted
the West’s systems and experienced an economic recession. IEO had been smaller in East Germany
than in West Germany but was on an upward trajectory before reunification. After 1990, IEO in East
Germany converged to the West German level as a result of decreased IEO in the west and increasing
levels in the east. Postreunification convergence suggests that differences in political context and
education policy are crucial for IEO.
