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Should School Entry Age Be Lowered in Morocco? Evidence from TIMSS 2023

In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research in Management and Economics (ICMRME 2025)

Author

Listed:
  • Ibrahim Allali

    (Mohammed V University of Rabat, PhD Candidate in Economics, Laboratory of Applied Economics, Faculty of Legal, Economic and Social Sciences – Agdal)

  • Mohammed Bijou

    (Mohammed V University of Rabat, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Faculty of Legal, Economic and Social Sciences – Agdal)

  • Lahboub Zouiri

    (Mohammed V University of Rabat, Professor of Higher Education, Department of Economics, Faculty of Legal, Economic and Social Sciences – Agdal)

Abstract

This study examines the effect of early school entry on mathematics achievement among Moroccan fourth-grade students, using data from the 2023 TIMSS assessment. To address both endogeneity and the hierarchical structure of educational data, we implement a three-stage empirical strategy. We begin with an Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) model to explore baseline relationships between student characteristics and academic performance. To account for potential endogeneity of early entry (Started School at Age 5 or Younger), we estimate a Two-Stage Least Squares (2SLS) model using month of birth as an exogenous instrument. Finally, we integrate the corrected values from the 2SLS estimation into a multilevel model that accounts for the nested structure of students within schools. The results show that early entry has no significant impact in the OLS and 2SLS models. However, in the multilevel framework, once both student- and school-level heterogeneity are fully accounted for, starting school at age five becomes statistically significant with a modest negative effect on mathematics performance. These findings reinforce the rationale behind Morocco’s current entry age policy and suggest that early school entry, in its current form, may not be beneficial for student outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Ibrahim Allali & Mohammed Bijou & Lahboub Zouiri, 2025. "Should School Entry Age Be Lowered in Morocco? Evidence from TIMSS 2023," Advances in Economics, Business and Management Research, in: Ait Oufkir Abdellah & Younes Ben Zaied & Mohamed Charif El Harrane & Lalla Touhfa Belgnaoui (ed.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research in Management and Economics (ICMRME 2025), pages 631-654, Springer.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:advbcp:978-94-6463-892-9_37
    DOI: 10.2991/978-94-6463-892-9_37
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