Authors

• Innolink Group

Keywords

education, educational choice, educational opportunities, educational provision, lower secondary schools, parents, upper secondary education, upper secondary schools, vocational education

Abstract

The survey charted the perceptions and opinions of parents of ninth-graders regarding general and vocational upper secondary education and their child's plans after completing lower secondary education. Main themes included, among others, the parents' opinions on studying and perceptions of how general and vocational upper secondary education are appreciated. The study was commissioned by the Ministry of Education and Culture and Skills Finland.

First, respondents were surveyed on the factors they thought should affect their child's choice when applying to upper secondary education (e.g. wanting to have a job with good pay, location of the school/educational facility, parents' or the child's opinions). The respondents were also asked whether their child would continue into upper secondary education after completing lower secondary school, how interesting they thought different paths of education were for their children (e.g. general or vocational upper secondary education, tenth grade) and which educational path they thought their child should choose after completing lower secondary education. If the respondents indicated that their child should choose vocational education or training after lower secondary school, they were asked which field of vocational education they thought would be suitable for their child. Finally, the sources of the respondents' information on different paths of education were charted.

Background variables included the respondent's gender, municipality of residence, region of residence (NUTS3), as well as their own and their spouse's highest level of education and occupation group.