Educational reform, ability and family background

Arbeitspapier

In this paper we evaluate the impact of a major school reform, that took place in the 1950s in Sweden, on educational attainment and earnings. The reform, which has many common elements with reforms in other European countries including the UK, consisted of increasing compulsor schooling, imposing a national curriculum and abolishing selectionby ability into Academic and non-academic streams at the age of 12 (comprehensive school reform). Our data combines survey data with administrative sources. We find that the reform increased both the educational attainment and the earnings of children whose fathers had just complusory education. However the earnings of those with educated parents declined - possibly because of a dilution of quality at the top end of the education levels. The overall effect of the reform was however positive.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IFS Working Papers ; No. 04/10

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; National Government Expenditures and Education ; Analysis of Education ; Education: Government Policy ; Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity ; Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
• Subject: Human capital ; evaluation of education reform ; comprehensive schools ; compulsory schooling ; earnings ; administrative data ; differences in differences ; Schulpolitik ; Bildungsreform ; Bildungsertrag ; Schweden

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Meghir, Costas ; Palme, Mårten
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS)
• (where): London
• (when): 2004

Further information

• DOI: doi:10.1920/wp.ifs.2004.0410
• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/71592
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:44 AM CET