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Impact of Funding Targeted Pre-school Interventions on School Readiness: Evidence from the Netherlands

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  • Yusuf Emre Akgündüz

    (The Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey)

  • Suzanne Heijnen

    (Rijkswaterstaat)

Abstract

We analyze the effectiveness of the early childhood programme (ECP) in the Netherlands. The programme is designed for 2.5–4 year olds from disadvantaged backgrounds. 37 municipalities received an additional subsidy to expand ECP programmes, which allows us to analyze the effects of the programme within a difference-in-difference-in-differences framework. Most children first enroll in primary schools at age 4 in the Netherlands, but pupils begin to learn reading and mathematics in grade 3 at age 6. We use grade repetition constructed from school registry data from 2008 to 2015 in the first two grades as an indicator of school readiness. Our results show significantly lower grade repetition rates for targeted boys who are in regions that receive the subsidy. Grade repetition drops by 0.8–1.8 percentage points from a mean of 10.5% for the disadvantaged group targeted by the programme.

Suggested Citation

  • Yusuf Emre Akgündüz & Suzanne Heijnen, 2018. "Impact of Funding Targeted Pre-school Interventions on School Readiness: Evidence from the Netherlands," De Economist, Springer, vol. 166(2), pages 155-178, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:decono:v:166:y:2018:i:2:d:10.1007_s10645-018-9314-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s10645-018-9314-2
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Pre-school funding; Early childhood; Grade repetition; DDD;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C21 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth

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