Scelte, flussi, segregazione: l’istruzione secondaria di I grado a Bologna, Reggio Emilia e Prato

The article explores the allocation of pupils in secondary schools in Bologna, Reggio Emilia and Prato – cities featuring a high incidence of foreign students – to assess how the distribution is associated with ascribed characteristics of pupils and their families (namely, citizenship and parents’ education level), catchment areas’ social characterization and school profiles. Nearly half of the pupils do not attend their area of residence’s reference school. Such mobility is more widespread among Italian families and those with more educated parents, especially when it comes to leaving the public school system in favour of privately managed institutions. An ad hoc, detailed typology of area-to-school movements also unveils unexpected forms of reference school ‘avoidance’, such as ‘downward’ mobility towards schools that appear to be more disadvantaged than reference schools. Interschool segregation tends to be greater than residential segregation, and the allocation of pupils between classes further contributes to segregation. Equitable access to educational opportunities varies according to pupils’ migratory status, families’ cultural resources and the social profile of catchment areas, but with significant variations presumably reflecting municipal and neighbourhood contexts.