Children born in spring have poorer educational opportunities
The educational opportunities in the German school system depend to a large extent on the month in which a child was born. This is the result of the German Institute for Economic Research Berlin (DIW) in its current weekly report 17/2006. Children who were born shortly after the key date relevant for school enrollment are eight percentage points more likely to receive a Gymnasium recommendation in fourth grade than children who saw the light of day shortly before this key date.
In western Germany, the adjusted proportion of children born in June who were recommended to attend a Gymnasium is 36.8 percent. This is almost eight percentage points less than for children who were born in July and are eleven months older. This group shows an adjusted recommendation rate of 44.6 percent. In eastern Germany, the adjusted rates for a Gymnasium recommendation are 37.0 percent for the younger "May children" and 43.1 percent for the older children born in June. The distinction between East and West Germany is necessary due to the different deadlines for school enrollment.
Although the injustices caused by the school enrollment deadline cannot be completely avoided, the current practice of recommending primary schools for secondary schools can be improved, the DIW demands. It often remains unclear on which empirical values primary school teachers base their recommendations, since schools generally do not monitor the success of their forecasts. More say for parents and central placement tests that predict performance regardless of age and social background could lead to improved equal opportunities, at least in the short term. In the long term, however, the later split into the various school types, which many educational researchers call for, should also be taken into account, since age-related differences in school performance and social maturity are likely to decrease over the years. © German Institute for Economic Research
