Refugee Peers in Language-Support and Ability-Tracked Classes: Evidence from Switzerland

Siwar Khelifa, Bruno Lanz and Marco Pecoraro

No 25-05, IRENE Working Papers from IRENE Institute of Economic Research

Abstract: We study the effects of the 1990-2000 inflow of Yugoslav refugees to Switzerland on incumbent pupils. Using administrative records from Geneva, we examine two integration mechanisms: language-support classes before entering regular classes and ability-based sorting into academic tracks. We find asymmetric effects between immigrant and native incumbents. First, a higher refugee concentration in language classes reduces grade repetition among low-achieving immigrants but increases it among natives. Second, a higher within-track refugee concentration improves immigrants' upward track transitions but raises natives' risk of downward transitions. Cross-track spillovers also arise: high-track refugees increase natives' upward transitions whereas low-track refugees lower downward transitions.

Keywords: Education; Refugees; Peer effects; School segregation; School choice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F22 H75 I21 J15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 52 pages.
Date: 2025-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-edu, nep-mig, nep-tra and nep-ure
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:irn:wpaper:25-05

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