I don’t think they do that but I haven’t read the report closely enough to be sure. There’s a link in the post if you want to go into the details.

Yes, of course you’re right: the SMF’s analysis shows a child’s preferences to be the most important factor in determining where they go. Proximity is understandably important to parents, too.

I suppose the thing it doesn’t explain is why academic reputation is valued differently by parents of different backgrounds. The SMF thinks its not just an information problem: the poor parents’ values are mistaken. I’m not convinced that we can distinguish between mistaken preferences (whatever they are) and preferences that merely differ from our own. It’s certainly not a question with an obviously right answer!

To a degree parents take academic excellence for granted, afterall, it would be closed or there would be bad reports in the local paper if it were crook wouldn’t it?

The other massive influence is the kids themselves.. they nearly always have their own preferences and expectations, and in the absence of a published terrible report(s) why would an average parent object?

Last.. a public school is (relatively) free and is perceived to have a standard of education that’s at least average and indeed has its known academic and sports stars.. it probably takes a pretty non standard parent or child to go much past that perception and sacrifice to go elsewhere.

JC