At the end of elementary school, the teachers assess whether a child receives a recommendation to attend a Hauptschule, Realschule, Gymnasium or Gesamtschule (comprehensive school). Although parents are not bound by this recommendation in most Länder, they are usually taken into account in the school selection process.

As shown elsewhere, the number of students with and without a migratory background in the different types of schools differs significantly in some cases. The discrepancy is most noticeable when attending a Gymnasium: only 4.1% of the students of a Gymnasium have a migratory background. With respect to the assessment of educational attainments not only the social background but also the distance/proximity of a family to education may be considered and therefore may have an effect on the school recommendation. Likewise, language proficiency (native language) influences the recommendation for a secondary school. However, as the school recommendation of children with a migratory background differs to a great extent from that of children from mostly German families, it can be assumed that there also exists a form of discrimination.

This may possibly be related to the concrete assessment of a child by teachers. Whether this is done intentionally or unintentionally, can in general hardly be determined. However, it leads to the same result: the lower promotion and qualification of students with a migratory background.

Likewise, the predetermined selection process within an institution like school, which leads to an assessment and recommendation, can have an impact on educational achievements.

In addition, the German secondary education system with its threefold structure, which allows only for limited change of school types, has a negative impact on the educational attainments of children with a migratory background.

Here, one would have to speak of an accumulation of individual, institutional and structural discrimination. Unfortunately, there are few studies that take these facts into account and analyze them appropriately. The result is that children with a migratory background are still facing disadvantages in the German education system and their learning achievements are less taken into account.