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Relative School Starting Age and Educational Inequality

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  • Valentina Sontheim

Abstract

This study investigates how school starting age (SSA) affects educational outcomes by disentangling the impact of relative and absolute SSA. I use a natural experiment in Switzerland where cutoff dates vary across time and regions and analyze data from 2012-2023. Being younger relative to classmates increases the likelihood of special needs placement and grade retention in early elementary school. These effects are driven by relative, not absolute, SSA and persist for up to eight years, influencing secondary school track placement. Children of less educated parents are more affected, suggesting SSA policies may reinforce educational inequality.

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  • Valentina Sontheim, 2025. "Relative School Starting Age and Educational Inequality," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0244, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW).
    • Handle: RePEc:iso:educat:0244
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