Long-term effects of school-starting-age rules

Hessel Oosterbeek, Simon ter Meulen and Bas van der Klaauw

Economics of Education Review, 2021, vol. 84, issue C

Abstract: To study the long-term effects of school-starting-age rules in a setting with early ability tracking, we exploit the birth month threshold used in the Netherlands. We find that students born just after the threshold perform better at the end of primary school than students born just before it. This translates into increased placement in high ability tracks in secondary education. This difference diminishes gradually during subsequent stages, and we find no effect on the highest attained educational level. Those born just before the threshold enter the labor market somewhat younger and have therefore more labor market experience and higher earnings at any age until 40. We conclude that early ability tracking does not harm long-term outcomes of children who were, for exogenous reasons, placed in a lower track.

Keywords: Relative cohort age; School starting age; Early tracking (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I21 I24 I26 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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Working Paper: Long-Term Effects of School-Starting-Age Rules (2020)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:84:y:2021:i:c:s0272775721000637

DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2021.102144

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