The German practice of compelling weak students to repeat a class has come under heavy criticism recently. Many observers fear that this practice is, at best, useless or even counterproductive. However, little is known so far on the consequences of having to repeat a class, as compared to be...

The determinants which are decisive for a successful accumulation of human capital and the transfer of these skills into the labor market are a contentious issue in the literature on the economics of education. Different studies on, for instance, the impact of school resources typically reach...

Wenn ein Kind im Sommer geboren wurde, gehört es häufig zu den Jüngsten in der Klasse. Viele Eltern fragen sich deshalb: Hängen die Älteren mein Kind ab? Im Durchschnitt schneiden jüngere Kinder tatsächlich schlechter in Mathematik und Deutsch ab als ihre Klassen- kameraden – jedenfalls...

The previous literature has shown that children who enter school at a more advanced age outperform their younger classmates on competency tests taken between kindergarten and Grade 10. This study analyzes whether these effects of school starting age continue into adulthood. Based on data on math...