Primary School Skill Development: From First to Sixth Grade

Elke Claes, Bart H. H. Golsteyn, Suzanne de Leeuw and Inge de Wolf

Journal of Human Capital, 2026, vol. 20, issue 2, 261 - 286

Abstract: Disparities in children’s skills at the start of primary education raise the question whether these differences persist throughout primary school and also whether performance gaps by student characteristics change during this period. Using Dutch data, we examine skill development from first to sixth grade. Our findings indicate a strong relationship between early skill levels and those at the end of primary school. Sixth-grade disparities largely stem from initial differences. Performance gaps by socioeconomic status and sex increase across the primary school period but decrease by migration background. These findings highlight the persistence of early skill inequality during the primary school period.

Date: 2026
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