Social origin inequalities in educational careers in Italy. Performance or decision effects?

We evaluate the relative contribution of performance effects (the influence of social origin on measured academic ability before school choices) and decision effects (the influence of social origin on school choices, given the student’s academic ability) in creating educational inequalities in Italy at the transitions to upper secondary and tertiary education. In the empirical analysis of the first transition we analyze the divide between the academic track and other educational programs; or the later transition we consider whether students enroll in university within three years of the attainment of the diploma.