Fewer School Days, More Inequality

Global COE Hi-Stat Discussion Paper Series from Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University

Abstract: This paper examines how the intensity of compulsory education affects the time use and academic achievement of children with different socioeconomic backgrounds. The impact is identified off the school-day reduction of Japan in 2002 that resulted when all Saturdays were set as public-school holidays. An analysis of time diaries and test scores before and after the school-day reduction reveals that the socioeconomic gradient of 9th graders' study time becomes 80% steeper and the socioeconomic gradient of academic achievements of 8th and 10th graders becomes 20-30% steeper. Intensive compulsory education contributes to equalizing the academic performances of children with different socioeconomic backgrounds.

Keywords: Compulsory Education; Inequality; Socioeconomic Gradient (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I24 I28 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-edu, nep-ltv and nep-ure
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http://gcoe.ier.hit-u.ac.jp/research/discussion/2008/pdf/gd12-271.pdf (application/pdf)

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Journal Article: Fewer school days, more inequality (2016)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hst:ghsdps:gd12-271

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