Ability, parental background and educationpolicy: empirical evidence from a socialexperiment

Abstract

Following the great expansion of secondary education in the UnitedStates between 1910 and 1940, Sweden was one of the first Western Europeancountries to attempt such an expansion by increasing the years ofcompulsory schooling and and improving access to academic type educationby abolishing early selection. The reform was preceded by a large scale areabased social experiment where 25% of the contry?s municipalities were assignedto the reform. We use this assignment, together with rich individualdata to evaluate this major educational interventions. Our key findings arethat this reform increased the educational attainment of individuals withunskilled fathers. In addition it caused significant and large increases in theearnings of those with unskilled fathers and above median ability. Following the great expansion of secondary education in the UnitedStates between 1910 and 1940, Sweden was one of the first Western Europeancountries to attempt such an expansion by increasing the years ofcompulsory schooling and and improving access to academic type educationby abolishing early selection. The reform was preceded by a large scale areabased social experiment where 25% of the contry?s municipalities were assignedto the reform. We use this assignment, together with rich individualdata to evaluate this major educational interventions. Our key findings arethat this reform increased the educational attainment of individuals withunskilled fathers. In addition it caused significant and large increases in theearnings of those with unskilled fathers and above median ability