The Economic, Cultural and Social Background

The decision to pursue the next level of education has an importance comparable to choosing a career or getting married (Lannert 2004: 21). The importance of choosing a school is best illustrated by the fact that it is the first decision that has a direct effect on the academic and professional career path of the student. “It is an empirical fact that, in a modern information society, knowledge-based goods play the most important role in determining young people's chances and social spheres of mobility ” (Gazsó–Laki 2004: 123). The topic of the present paper is the school choice of students in Miercurea Ciuc, and the factors that directly or indirectly influence this decision. Every year, another generation has to face the fact of having to choose a school, and hundreds of students are forced to make a decision that will influence all of their lives, by filling out a simple application form. Are these students aware of the gravity of this decision? Is it lengthy contemplation and careful planning, or a sudden idea and the mood of the moment that influence the chosen school or specialization? Do parents have a say in their children's choice, or are the kids left alone in their decision making? Do the parents ' economic status, level of education, occupation, or social connections influence the child's decision when it comes to choosing a school or a trade? These and similar questions arise when we deal with the issue of school choice. I tried finding answers to the above questions through my questionnaire-based study. The subjects of my study were those Hungarian high school freshmen in Miercurea Ciuc who had already been through the process of having chosen a school. In all, 312 students were successfully interviewed, of whom 186 students attended college preparatory high schools, and 126 were enrolled in trade and technical schools. In developing the questionnaire, the main goal, besides the methodological requirements, was to have the responses yield as much information as possible to the questions mentioned above. The main questions related to the student's current status, school and family environment, and the process of choosing the school