In contrast to autochthonous children, children with a migration background achieve poorer results at every level of the educational system in Germany. They gain access to pre-school education later, are more likely to be deferred before entering school, achieve lower levels already in elementary school levels and less often obtain recommendation to attend a secondary school. These ethnic disparities continue through post-secondary education. This research addresses the question of the extent to which family background is relevant to educational attendance and success of children and young adults with a migration background. The literature review is based on findings relating to ethnic disparities and inequality in Germany. The theoretical basis is the structural and individualistic approach of Boudon (1974), who identified differences in the origin of children and young adults as a consequence of social inequality. Following the educational trajectories in Germany in a chronological way, this paper starts with pre-school education, then focuses on elementary and secondary education before concluding with a consideration of post-secondary education.

Education Migration Educational inequality Social inequality Migration background Family

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