The paper uses ethnographic research from two public secondary schools. It describes the cultural production in two 8th grade classes and links it to the cultural and social reproduction. Despite the discourse of ‘one school for all’ and in the view of the objectives of equality, the study shows a strong differentiation and segregation on basis of class boundaries with ethnic overtones. Freedom of choice in relation to the school voucher system, responsibility and flexibility, made it possible to create some kind of ‘magnet schools’ with side effects that the ‘poor’ school in the neighborhood was further drained. Even though the teachers at the two schools demonstrated commitment to create well-functioning school activities, the study shows quite different outcomes for the two schools. The most striking result is the large differences in practice in terms of knowledge organisation and content, expectations and demands placed on students, status of the two schools etc. The study is based on long-term participant observation and interviews. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. The data focused on in the present paper has been developed principally around interviews and transcription field notes.