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Fewer School Days, More Inequality

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  • Daiji Kawaguchi

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Daiji Kawaguchi, 2013. "Fewer School Days, More Inequality," Global COE Hi-Stat Discussion Paper Series gd12-271, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    • Handle: RePEc:hst:ghsdps:gd12-271
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    File URL: http://gcoe.ier.hit-u.ac.jp/research/discussion/2008/pdf/gd12-271.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Blog mentions

    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. Reduce inequality by increasing the number of school days
      by Economic Logician in Economic Logic on 2013-03-27 19:02:00
    2. Supply-side socialism
      by chris dillow in Stumbling and Mumbling on 2013-03-11 19:32:11

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    Cited by:

    1. Huebener, Mathias & Kuger, Susanne & Marcus, Jan, 2017. "Increased instruction hours and the widening gap in student performance," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 47, pages 15-34.
    2. Michio Naoi & Hideo Akabayashi & Ryosuke Nakamura & Kayo Nozaki & Shinpei Sano & Wataru Senoh & Chizuru Shikishima, 2017. "Causal Effects of Family Income on Child Outcomes and Educational Spending: Evidence from a Child Allowance Policy Reform in Japan," Keio-IES Discussion Paper Series 2017-026, Institute for Economics Studies, Keio University.
    3. Takaku, Reo & Yokoyama, Izumi, 2021. "What the COVID-19 school closure left in its wake: Evidence from a regression discontinuity analysis in Japan," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    4. Naoi, Michio & Akabayashi, Hideo & Nakamura, Ryosuke & Nozaki, Kayo & Sano, Shinpei & Senoh, Wataru & Shikishima, Chizuru, 2021. "Causal effects of family income on educational investment and child outcomes: Evidence from a policy reform in Japan," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    5. OIKAWA Masato & TANAKA Ryuichi & BESSHO Shun-ichiro & KAWAMURA Akira & NOGUCHI Haruko, 2022. "Do Class Closures Affect Students' Achievements? Heterogeneous effects of students' socioeconomic backgrounds," Discussion papers 22042, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    6. INUI Tomohiko & KODAMA Naomi & NAGASHIMA Masaru, 2018. "Days of Schooling and Educational Inequality: Evidence from schools with saturday class in Japan," Discussion papers 18080, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    7. Park, Yoonsoo, 2018. "Impact of the Free Learning Semester (FLS) on Private-Tutoring Investment," KDI Policy Forum 269, Korea Development Institute (KDI).
    8. Oikawa, Masato & Tanaka, Ryuichi & Bessho, Shun-ichiro & Noguchi, Haruko, 2020. "Do Class Size Reductions Protect Students from Infectious Disease? Lessons for COVID-19 Policy from Flu Epidemic in Tokyo Metropolitan Area," IZA Discussion Papers 13432, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Yamaguchi, Shintaro & Ito, Hirotake & Nakamuro, Makiko, 2023. "Month-of-birth effects on skills and skill formation," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    10. Shinsuke Asakawa & Fumio Ohtake, 2021. "Impact of Temporary School Closure Due to COVID-19 on the Academic Achievement of Elementary School Students," Discussion Papers in Economics and Business 21-14, Osaka University, Graduate School of Economics.
    11. Motegi, Hiroyuki & Oikawa, Masato, 2019. "The effect of instructional quality on student achievement: Evidence from Japan," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    12. Yuki Higuchi & Miyuki Sasaki & Makiko Nakamuro, 2020. "Impacts of an Information and Communication Technology-Assisted Program on Attitudes and English Communication Abilities: An Experiment in a Japanese High School," Asian Development Review, MIT Press, vol. 37(2), pages 100-133, September.
    13. Kubota, Kohei, 2016. "Effects of Japanese compulsory educational reforms on household educational expenditure," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 47-60.
    14. ASAKAWA Shinsuke & OHTAKE Fumio, 2022. "Impact of COVID-19 School Closures on the Cognitive and Non-cognitive Skills of Elementary School Students," Discussion papers 22075, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    15. Nishihata, Masaya & Kobayashi, Yohei, 2024. "Inequalities in student learning and screen time due to COVID-19: Evidence from Japan," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Compulsory Education; Inequality; Socioeconomic Gradient;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy

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