Prof. Fabrizio Bernardi presented the research findings of a project on which he collaborated with Héctor Cebolla-Boado from the National University of Education (Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia) in Madrid, Spain. As part of their project, they analyzed the interactive relationship between grades and class-specific cost-benefit calculations for transitions in the educational system on the basis of data collected by the French study d’Élèves du Second Degré. Among other things, the results revealed that a compensation-effect, also called George W. Bush-effect, occurred. This means that there is a larger class-specific inequality for students with bad school achievements regarding transitions in the educational system. The hypothesis due to which the above-mentioned inequality is larger for students with average school achievements could however not be verified by their results. At the same time, the findings proved the existence of a strong coherence between previously expressed preferences for a certain school career and the actual chosen course of education by the students. Closer scrutiny showed however that class-specific inequalities  grew bigger towards the end of the decision-making phase for a certain school career and therefore showed more inequality than at the beginning. The lecture was followed by a lively discussion.