The debate about over-academisation

Abstract

The number of persons choosing to study in Germany has increased strongly over the last decades, even if the number of persons taking up studies is still below average by international comparison. The rise in the number of those studying could be a result of the wish on the part of many young people and their parents to advance socially or prevent social decline. Even if, in the wake of the educational expansion, educational chances have improved across all strata of society, it is nevertheless still the case that the children of academics have a greater chance of studying than children whose parents are not academics - even if their school performance is the same. On the other hand, one can presume that the decision in favour of going to university can be explained by the attractivity of academic professions with respect to a great many factors such as income and the employment situation. Current studies show that a higher level of education still pays out and that academics are not only less often unemployed than those with lower qualifications but also earn more on average than those completing vocational training. However, this does not apply evenly to all fields. The income of university graduates in some disciplines lies below the income of those completing vocational training in certain occupations." (Text excerpt IAB-Doku)

Cite article

Bellmann, L. & Leber, U. (2016): Die Debatte um die Über-Akademisierung. In: L. Bellmann & G. Grözinger (Hrsg.) (2016): Bildung in der Wissensgesellschaft (Jahrbuch Ökonomie und Gesellschaft, 28), p. 71-86.