What a Difference Immigration Law Makes: PISA Results, Migration Background and Social Mobility in Europe and Traditional Countries of Immigration

Arbeitspapier

The purpose of this article is to evaluate the importance of social class, migration background and command of national languages for the PISA school performance of teenagers living in European countries (France, Finland, Germany, United Kingdom, and Sweden) and traditional countries of immigration (Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the US). Econometric results show that the influence of the socioeconomic background of parents differs strongly across nations, with the highest impact found for Germany, the UK and US, whereas social mobility is more likely in Scandinavian countries and in Canada. Our empirical results imply that for students with a migration background a key for catching up is the language spoken at home. We conclude that educational policy should focus on integration of immigrant children in schools and preschools, with particular emphasis on language skills at the early stage of childhood.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: ZEW Discussion Papers ; No. 04-17

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Demographic Economics: Public Policy ; Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration ; Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification ; Education and Research Institutions: General ; Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
• Subject: PISA tests ; socioeconomic status ; migration ; social mobility ; language skills ; Einwanderungsrecht ; Migranten ; Bildungsniveau ; Familiensoziologie ; Soziale Schicht ; Soziale Mobilität ; Schätzung ; OECD-Staaten ; PISA

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Minoiu, Nicoleta ; Entorf, Horst
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung (ZEW)
• (where): Mannheim
• (when): 2004

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/24002
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:42 AM CET