4.4 Substance use among specific groups: gender and educational level
4.4.2 Educational Level
The German educational system is composed of four main educational institutions: Gym- nasium, Gesamtschule, Realschule, and Hauptschule. Only the “Gymnasium” (equivalent to the English grammar school) and part of the pupils in the “Gesamtschule” are later given access to university education, whereas all others are directed to a more professional- oriented education (i.e, “Berufskolleg”). Among the latter, the “Realschule” can be con- sidered a medium level institution, whereas the “Haupschule” is the lower educational path in the German school system (with a subsequent high rate of unemployed among its former pupils).
Changes from one type of school to another are possible, but rather difficult and demand- ing. The “Gesamtschule” is an attempt to overcome such a problem, since it includes within one institution all three school typologies, and should encourage a better distribu- tion of the pupils. Because of this characteristic, it is difficult to place the “Gesamtschule” on a continuum from lower to higher educational level together with the other schools. Remarkable is, that within a “Gesamtschule” there is much more social heterogeneity (with all its consequences) than within any other school-type.
4.4. Substance use among specific groups: gender and educational level
The access to a specific school is regulated on the basis of the skills and notes achieved by the pupil in the primary school. Although the decision to which school a pupil will be assigned is mainly a task of the teachers, the parents are given the chance to influence such a decision. It is then obvious, that only engaged parents will be actively involved in shaping the future of their children. This system is widely criticised for enhancing and perpetuating social inequalities; the weaker part of the society - such as immigrant, unemployed, low-income workers and lower class families - in fact, is overrepresented in the lower institutions of the educational system (i.e. “Realschule” and “Hauptschule”). The descriptive statistics for the educational level have to be distinguished in two different tables. The first table reports the sample distribution among the above mentioned four types of school in the town of Duisburg. The second table refers to the last measurement point in 2006 and distinguishes only between three groups: subjects still in school (i.e., in “Gymnasium” or “Gesamtschule”), those who now attend a professional training (“Beruf-
skolleg”), and those who left completely the educational system.
This is necessary because after the 10th class pupils attending either “Realschule” or “Hauptschule” (and the corresponding classes in the “Gesamtschule”) obtain their grades and are confronted with different choices. “Realschule” pupils can move to a professional- training institution or, after additional exams, are given access to the last two years of the “Gymnasium”. “Hauptschule” pupils are given the same possibilities, but having a lower educational level than their colleagues in the “Realschule”, face more difficulties to gain admission to the “Gymnasium”. Thus, most of them move on to professional education. Table 4.14 shows the pupils’ choices after the 10th class:
Table 4.14: Crosstab between school attended before and after the 10
thclass
Up to 10
thclass
After 10
thclass
In school
Berufskol.
Not in sc.
P
Gymnasium
356
27
4
387
Gesamtschule
222
254
21
497
Realschule
135
212
14
361
Hauptschule
26
207
20
253
P
739
700
59
1,498
Most of the pupils that were in the “Gymnasium” remain in the same institution. After two more years they obtain the “A-level” and gain the right to pursue university education. On the contrary, most of the pupils in the “Hauptschule” move on to profes- sional education. Really few succeed to gain access to the “Gymnasium”.
Table 4.15 reports the distribution across the four school types between time point one (2002) and five (2005), whereas Table 4.16 reports the new distribution after the 10th class (2006).
Table 4.15: School up to the 10
thclass
Freq.
%
Cum.
Gymnasium
392
25.2
25.2
Gesamtschule
517
33.3
58.5
Realschule
373
24.0
82.6
Hauptschule
270
17.4
100.0
P
1,552
100.0
Table 4.16: School after the 10
thclass
Freq.
%
Cum.
In school
739
47.6
47.6
Berufskolleg
700
45.1
92.7
Not in school
59
3.8
96.5
Missing
54
3.4
100.0
P
1,552
100.0
As already mentioned in Chapter 3, up to the 10thclass, the lower educational level (“Hauptschule”) is underrepresented compared to the other institutions. For what concern the year after, the subjects are equally distributed between “in school” and “Berufskolleg”. Only a small 3% of the pupils have left school.
Life-time prevalence
Table 4.17 and Table 4.18 report life-time prevalence of drug and heavy alcohol consump- tion.
Table 4.17: Life-time prevalence for drug use in percent
%
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Gymnasium
3.6
8.9
14.5
22.5
25.8
Gesamtschule
5.5
14.3
20.4
25.4
25.1
Realschule
8.9
11.6
19.6
22.8
28.4
Hauptschule
7
18
24.5
30.4
30.5
4.4. Substance use among specific groups: gender and educational level
The most striking difference is the high prevalence value for the pupils attending “Haupschule”. 30% of them, by the end of the covered time span, reported having tried illicit substances in their life. The other schools show smaller values around 22-25%, with the “Gymnasium” reporting the lowest prevalence rate. Illicit drug use seems to be a problem especially in the lower section of the educational system.
Table 4.18: Life-time prevalence for alcohol use
%
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Gymnasium
18.7
34.2
50.5
66.6
76
Gesamtschule
24.2
40.2
51.9
60.8
66.7
Realschule
23.6
41
57.3
67.9
76.1
Hauptschule
25
41.5
52.9
62.3
67.4
Heavy drinking shows a completely different trend. Although all schools report high prevalence rates, the highest values are measured in the middle-upper section of the German school system. In 2006, in fact, the higher prevalence are measured for the “Gymnasium” and the “Realschule” with about 76%. However, at the same time, the
other two school types also show remarkable prevalence values of about 67%.
Frequencies
The frequencies of use for the different school types are presented only for the use of illicit drugs, since there are no remarkable differences for what concern heavy drinking.
Table 4.19: Frequency of drug use
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Gymnasium
.17
.66
1.84
1.81
2.92
Gesamtschule
.46
1.33
5.07
6.12
6.56
Realschule
.33
1.52
4.32
3.68
5.62
Hauptschule
.46
3.15
7.66
9.45
8.86
Similar to the pattern outlined in the section above, pupils in the “Hauptschule” report not only the highest prevalence rate, but also higher frequencies than any other school type. Whereas in “Gymnasium” drug use seems to be more an experimental behavior with an average frequency of only two times in twelve months, the pupils in the other school types report a more frequent consumption. Pupils in the lower part of the educational system seem to be involved in a more systematic consumption, especially at time four (2005), exactly before leaving the school for a professional training.
For a more precise description of these phenomena, differences in the last measurement point should be compared with the new educational institution attended by the subjects
in that year.
Table 4.20 represents the life-time prevalence for drug use and heavy drinking in 2006.
Table 4.20: Life-time prevalence of drug and alcohol use after the 10
thclass
%
Drug use
Alcohol use
In school
22.7
68.2
Berufskolleg
30
75
Not in school
40.7
69.5
The proportion of those who have used illicit drugs in their life is much bigger among the subjects who left school than among those who either stayed in school or went to a professional training. Furthermore, the latter show a higher prevalence compared to pupils in school.
The values for heavy drinking do not show comparable large differences as illicit drug use, but still highlight the higher prevalence for the subjects in professional training.
Table 4.21 shows differences in the frequency of drug use in 2006.
Table 4.21: Frequency of drug use after the 10
thclass
Mean
In school
2.78
Berufskolleg
7.79
Not in school
9.01
These patterns are similar to those seen before. Subjects still in school show a lower frequency compared to the other two categories, which suggests a more experimental behavior. The same cannot be said for the other two groups: frequency values between 7% and 9% suggest a slightly more established consumption habit.