Gymnasium (Germany) - "Great Equaliser" or "Breeding Ground of Privilege"?

"Great Equaliser" or "Breeding Ground of Privilege"?

A study revealed that 50% of the students visiting a gymnasium come from families of the top levels of German society. Some people have voiced concerns that gymnasien are designed to accommodate a minority of privileged children and that talented working-class children are impeded in gaining access to gymnasium. There have been calls for the abolition of the gymnasium and a switch-over to comprehensive schools. Others want the gymnasien to target more children from poor backgrounds.

Some believe that gymnasien are "the great equaliser" and have pointed out that state-funded and parochial gymnasien have helped many students rise above humble backgrounds. Some also point to the fact that gymnasien are the only schools where working-class students nearly catch up with their middle-class peers, while in the case of comprehensive schools, the effects of social class on student academic performance are more pronounced than in any other type of school.