Educational strategies of religious global middle class parents: an analysis of school choice during international mobility

This article examines the educational strategies, including school choice decisions, adopted by parents from the global middle class (GMC) when they relocate internationally. Focusing on GMC parents who self-identify as Modern Orthodox Jews, the study addresses a gap in existing research and adds to the limited empirical data on this religious cohort’s educational choices. Findings reveal that these parents tend to select schools that align with their religious beliefs, values, and cultural identity. Parents frequently framed their children’s success in terms of personal fulfilment and meaningful contribution, while also emphasising economic security, educational attainment and professional advancement. Theoretically, the study shows that religious commitment organises the criteria by which schooling options are evaluated, rather than functioning as one constraint weighed against others – narrowing which options are treated as viable before parents compare them in detail.