Determinants of grade retention in France and Spain: Does birth month matter?

Francisco Pedraja-Chaparro, Daniel Santín and Rosa Simancas

Journal of Policy Modeling, 2015, vol. 37, issue 5, 820-834

Abstract: In France and Spain, children born in the same calendar year start school together, regardless of maturity differences due to their birth month. This paper analyses the educational impact of birth month on the probability of grade retention controlling by other covariates. Using the PISA 2009 database for both countries, we do identify a great impact on grade retention since students born in the last months of the year are between 70% and 80% more likely to repeat a grade than children born in the first months of the same year. We conclude that policy interventions are required in those countries to ensure that individuals are not unfairly penalized by their birth month.

Keywords: Birth month; Grade retention; PISA 2009; Impact evaluation; Economics of education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C21 H52 I21 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (12)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jpolmo:v:37:y:2015:i:5:p:820-834

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpolmod.2015.04.004

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