The Impact of Pre-School on Adolescents' Outcomes: Evidence from a Recent English Cohort

33 Pages Posted: 11 Nov 2012

See all articles by Patricia F. Apps

Patricia F. Apps

The University of Sydney - Faculty of Law; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Silvia Mendolia

University of Aberdeen

Ian Walker

University of Warwick - Department of Economics; Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS); IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Abstract

This paper investigates the relationship between attendance at nursery school and children's outcomes in adolescence. In particular, we are interested in child cognitive development at ages 11, 14 and 16, intentions towards tertiary education, economic activity in early adulthood, and in a group of non-cognitive outcomes, such as risky health behaviours (smoking, early pregnancy, use of cannabis) and personality traits (feelings and commitments about school; psychological well-being). Using matching methods to control for a very rich set of child's and family's characteristics, we find that pre-school childcare largely improves results in cognitive tests at age 11 and 14 and 16, and has a positive effect on intentions towards further education and economic activity at age 19-20. Positive effects are especially noticeable for children coming from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. Results on non-cognitive outcomes are more mixed: we do not find any evidence of improvement in psychological well-being, but we do find some positive effects on health behaviours.

Keywords: childcare, child outcomes

JEL Classification: J13, I21

Suggested Citation

Apps, Patricia F. and Mendolia, Silvia and Walker, Ian, The Impact of Pre-School on Adolescents' Outcomes: Evidence from a Recent English Cohort. IZA Discussion Paper No. 6971, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2173661 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2173661

Patricia F. Apps (Contact Author)

The University of Sydney - Faculty of Law ( email )

Faculty of Law, New Law Building F10
The University of Sydney
Sydney, NSW 2006
Australia
+61 2 9351 0241 (Phone)
+61 2 9351 0200 (Fax)

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Silvia Mendolia

University of Aberdeen ( email )

Dunbar Street
Aberdeen, Scotland AB24 3QY
United Kingdom
0044 1224 272182 (Phone)

Ian Walker

University of Warwick - Department of Economics ( email )

Coventry CV4 7AL
United Kingdom
+44 1203 523 054 (Phone)
+44 1203 523 032 (Fax)

Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS)

7 Ridgmount Street
London, WC1E 7AE
United Kingdom

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

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