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Urban Density and Pupil Attainment

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Author Info
Stephen Gibbons () (CEP, London School of Economics)
Olmo Silva () (CEP, CEE, London School of Economics and IZA)

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Abstract

We explore the association between urban density and pupil attainment using three cohorts of pupils in schooling in England. Although - as widely recognised - attainment in dense urban places is low on average, this is not because urban environments disadvantage pupils, but because the most disadvantaged pupils with low average attainments attend the most urbanised schools. To control for this, we exploit changes in urban density faced by pupils during compulsory transition from Primary to Secondary school, and measure educational progress at the end of the Secondary phase, relative to attainment at the end of Primary schooling. Our results suggest that there are small but significant benefits from education in schools in more densely urbanised settings. We detect this density advantage even amongst pupils moving relatively short distances between Primary and Secondary schools within urban areas, so we cannot attribute it to broad urbanisation effects experienced by pupils making rural-urban school moves. A more likely explanation lies in greater school choice and competition between closely co-located educational providers.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in its series IZA Discussion Papers with number 2728.

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Length: 46 pages
Date of creation: Apr 2007
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Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp2728

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Related research
Keywords: urban density and agglomeration school choice and competition pupil achievement

Find related papers by JEL classification:
I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
R20 - Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics - - Household Analysis - - - General
J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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