Flexibility in the Dutch education system: how institutional characteristics modify students’ educational careers

Early selection of students in secondary school often goes hand-in-hand with inequality of opportunities in the education system. Though, in some education systems it does not. Flexibility in the sorting and selection of students has been put forward as an explanation for this. This thesis inquires this concept of flexibility empirically. It shows for the Dutch secondary education system that there is indeed a considerable difference between schools in the stringency with which the selection is enforced. The thesis further focuses on how deviating from the standard pathway through the system takes place. Important ways to fare through the system are combining different levels of education after sorting and placing students in a school with a variety of levels. If those flexibility measures are implemented, students have a better chance of outperforming themselves, can selection at the start be more lenient, and schools themselves can maintain a good quality.