This study investigates the choices that students coming from different social backgrounds and from the full range of secondary schools in Cyprus make regarding their post school destinations. It is based on a theory, which regards the family as a central agency in the reproduction of inequalities. This study argues that apart from making the most of their financial capital, Cypriot families utillse intentionally or in an unintended manner the non-monetary capitals they may have available such as their cultural capital and more importantly their social capital to produce social 'profits' for the education of their offspring. Social capital is seen as a major factor that can explain the unequal pattern of educational choices made by the growing ranks of students coming from -different social origins regarding their post school destinations. Different families adopt various strategies to cope with the lack of that resource and it appears that some families have more options to consider than others. The differential ability to cope with the lack of social capital constitutes a source of social differentiation. The mobilisation of various resources is examined in a social environment whereby for the past three or four decades went through a process of modermsation. This rapid transition has led to the co-existence of traditional and modernist perspectives of how social relations and gender issues are perceived. Adherence to one or another perspective affects the strategies that families employ for their children's educational prospects. This research used a multiple or mixed method approach combining quantitative and qualitative methodologies in a complimentary manner. A stratified sample of 404 students graduating from all kinds of secondary schools and their parents completed questionnaires. A selected sample of 24 parents was interviewed. The findings of the study indicate that choice making varies across social class and is influenced by gender. Of the non-monetary resources investigated social capital appears to act as a hidden mechanism of social selection in modem Cyprus particularly because it allows for the creation of a certain habitus that allows some privileged families and students mostly from middle class backgrounds to make far reaching and daring decisions which offer them the possibility for social success in a competitive and 4close' labour market whereas at the same time it makes others from lower social class backgrounds to make 'pragmatic' choices which often mean making compromises in their ambitions to achieve social success.

This thesis examines the responses of the educational system of Cyprus to increasing student diversity. The study it reports was set in a sensitive socio-political context, within which the previously homogenous Greek-Cypriot society faced an unprecedented and unanticipated rise in net migration rates from the mid-1990s. The need to respond effectively to the challenge of increasing population diversity and to issues of ethnic, linguistic, religious and cultural diversification was evident within the wider Cypriot society, and was reflected within the educational system. Despite this, there is an identified gap in knowledge and research on the topic of increasing student diversity in Cyprus. With these concerns in mind, the research focused on exploring the experiences of secondary school students of ages 11-14, who had recently arrived in Cyprus and were categorised as foreign-speaking. The aim was to explore factors hindering and promoting these students’ inclusion in schools through identifying barriers and resources to their presence, participation, achievement and socialisation. The study used a qualitative exploratory case study design. Data were collected in three secondary schools through a multi-method approach that considered the views of various school stakeholders, particularly the “voices” of foreign-speaking students regarding their school experiences. Data analysis involved the constant comparative method which allowed the consistent scrutiny of findings from various research methods using a theoretical framework based on the idea of inclusive education. A model was developed and used to discuss the perceived barriers and resources to foreign-speaking students’ inclusion. Barriers and resources were identified as stemming from educational policy, educational practice in schools and classrooms, students’ traits and characteristics, and finally students’ home and community environments. The barriers created a context of inequality of opportunities for foreign-speaking students’ school experiences and future life achievement in comparison to their other classmates. The findings of the study provide a basis for evaluating exclusionary pressures that prevent foreign-speaking students from engaging meaningfully with their school lives equally to other classmates, and propose that inclusive education within the Cypriot educational context can have a wider scope that does not rest only with traditional research on special needs education. It also confirms the importance of conducting contextualised educational research on issues of inclusion, as relevant literature presents inclusive schools as organisations that should address challenges in reflection to their own cultural and political context. The thesis also suggests that the identified barriers and resources have implications for policy and practice that need to be addressed in order to adopt more inclusive educational pedagogies for foreign-speaking students, and considers it important that the formulation of any response should be informed in reflection to similar international studies. Its implication lies with identifying unused resources that could otherwise be mobilised to enhance schools’ response to increasing diversity. Finally, it makes recommendations for future research on the identified resources for promoting inclusion. Such research should be directed at further exploring the factors contributing to providing equal educational opportunities for all learners within an approach that promotes respect for diversity and considers diversity as a source of inspiration and learning.