Lives on track? Long-term earnings returns to selective school placement in England and Denmark

Birkelund, J. F., Capsada-Munsech, Q. , Boliver, V. and Karlson, K. B. (2021) Lives on track? Long-term earnings returns to selective school placement in England and Denmark. British Journal of Sociology, 72(3), pp. 672-692. (doi: 10.1111/1468-4446.12856) (PMID:33969905)

Abstract

We explore the influence of between‐school ability placement at lower secondary education on earnings across the life course in England and Denmark. We go beyond the mid‐career snapshot provided by previous studies by exploiting the availability of four decades worth of earnings data for individuals born in the mid‐1950s. Members of this cohort who were judged to be among the most academically able attended grammar schools in England (19%) and advanced secondary schools (Realskole) in Denmark (51%) prior to the start of comprehensivization. This key difference makes England and Denmark interesting cases for comparison, not least since pro‐selection policies have re‐emerged in England based on the claim that grammar schools lead to better educational and labor market outcomes. Our analysis of the influence of selective school placement on earnings finds little support for this contention. We find that those from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds were strikingly under‐represented in schools ear‐marked for higher ability pupils in both countries, even after taking into account social class differences in measured ability. Our analysis for England finds only modest earnings returns to attending a grammar school, totalling just £39,000 across the life course, while in Denmark the lifetime earnings returns to attending Realskole are somewhat larger (£194,000). Because those from advantaged backgrounds were substantially over‐represented at grammar schools and Realskoles, these returns accrue disproportionately to pupils from more advantaged backgrounds. Lower secondary school placement in Denmark accounts for 40% of the intergenerational reproduction of socioeconomic advantage and disadvantage, more than half of which is due to selection into school types based on socioeconomic background rather than measured ability. Our findings question the wisdom of expanding grammar schools when they appear to do little to improve individuals’ earnings or increase social mobility.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This work was supported by the New Opportunities for Research Funding Agency Cooperation in Europe (NORFACE) under the funding scheme Dynamics of Inequality Across the Life-Course: Structures and Processes (DIAL) numbers 426-16-021 (Jesper F. Birkelund and Kristian B. Karlson) and 426-16-024 (Queralt Capsada-Munsech and Vikki Boliver).
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Capsada-Munsech, Dr Queralt
• Authors: Birkelund, J. F., Capsada-Munsech, Q., Boliver, V., and Karlson, K. B.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Education > Professional Learning and Leadership ; College of Social Sciences > School of Education > Educational Leadership & Policy
• Journal Name: British Journal of Sociology
• Publisher: Wiley
• ISSN: 0007-1315
• ISSN (Online): 1468-4446
• Published Online: 10 May 2021
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2021 London School of Economics and Political Science
• First Published: First published in British Journal of Sociology 72(3): 672-692
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
					426-16-024