In Iceland, there is a long standing belief that social class and inequality does not play a significant role in education. Icelanders and Icelandic educational authorities take pride in being at the forefront of an equitable and just educational system with minimal school differences regarding social mixing and achievement (Halldórsson et.al., 2010). Over the past decades, however, the Icelandic educational system has been transforming towards a neoliberal direction with deregulation, competition, school ranking, and a gradual increase in numbers of free schools (Dovemark et al., 2018; Dýrfjörð & Magnúsdóttir, 2016; Lundahl, Erixon Arreman, Holm, & Lundström, 2013). During this time, the number of children in the Icelandic compulsory educational system with immigrant backgrounds has also increased, from 3% in 1997 to 14% in 2016 (Statistics Iceland) . This study explores these societal changes towards the quasi-market educational model of compulsory schools in the Reykjavik metropolitan area. Our presentation especially focuses on the transformation of a particular residential area in Reykjavik - what we refer to as the cold zone -  for the time period of 1997-2016. This transformation is portrayed using both qualitative and quantitative data, as explained below.  The presentation will reflect upon and emphasise the ways in which the middle-class and native flight from the cold zone relates to certain social and educational policies that result in a concentration of disadvantage in educational, social and political contexts. Additionally, some of the interventions for the area that have been provided by school authorities in Reykjavik will be discussed and considered in light of educational reform in other European cities, as well as cities in the United States (Hursh, 2016; Kosunen & Carrasco, 2016; Sahlberg, 2016; Saltman, 2014; Thomson, 2014; Yoon, Lubienski, & Lee, 2018).

The theoretical framework of the research applies Bourdieu’s concepts of social, cultural and economic capital, social space, and strategies. A variety of data is analysed and interpreted with this framework in mind.. Additionally, the analysis is based on the understanding that social class is not simply a status, but a process, and it is established through repeated social and cultural activities in everyday practices (Bourdieu, 1989, 1993, 1998).  

The data constitutes a quantitative overview of the social class segregation between neighbourhoods in Reykjavík, with special focus on developments within the cold zone from1997-2016. Information on educational level, income, assets and immigrant background will be used to analyse the social background of parents of primary school-aged children within this cold zone. Additional data on student mobility in/out of their assigned schools is used to further shed light on the differing popularity of schools located in and close to the cold zone. The quantitative data originates from Statistics Iceland and the Municipality of Reykjavík. The qualitative data consists of 15 semi-structured interviews with parents from different social classes and countries of origin that reside in the cold zone. This includes interviews with parents who a) either enrol their children to their assigned neighbourhood or b) have chosen open enrolment.

Preliminary results show that the cold zone has undergone a distinct transformation regarding the social composition of parents and children over the past 20 years. A clear concentration of disadvantage has taken place, while at the same time an accumulation of privilege has taken place in other areas of Reykjavik. This marks a stark increase in the socio-spatial class segregation between school catchment areas in Reykjavik. The data on student mobility shows an emerging educational quasi-market and a steeper hierarchy between schools both within and close to the cold zone. The interviews give a necessary and often neglected insight into the micro manifestations of class formation and parental strategies when it comes to school and residential choices. The results will be discussed in relation to research on school choice and educational markets in the other Nordic countries, in Europe, and in the US. The implications of these findings will be considered in terms of educational justice and equity within a progressively neoliberal landscape.

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