Children who are are older when they start school may do well academically and socially in the short-term - but are more likely to abandon their studies and commit crimes as teenagers. A team of US researchers studied the impact that starting kindergarten has on children born 60 days before, and 60 days after the cut-off start date. And they found these negative outcomes are significantly more likely for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Children who are are older when they start kindergarten (a stock image is shown) are more likely to do well academically and socially in the short-term, but are also more likely to abandon their studies and commit crimes when they are teenagers, a new study has claimed . Philip Cook, a professor in Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy and lead author of the study, said: ‘This research provides the first compelling evidence of a causal link between dropout and crime. ‘It supports the view that crime outcomes should be considered in evaluating school reforms. ‘Dropouts are greatly over-represented in prison, so we know there is a strong association between dropping out and crime. ‘But to establish causation requires an experiment. My analysis takes advantage of nature's experiment associated with birth date.’ Professor Cook and Songman Kang of Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea carried out the research, published in American Economic Journal-Applied Economics. It is said to be the first study to link dropping out of school, and crime. The study compared North Carolina public school students born 60 days before, and 60 days after the school cut-off date. At the time of the study, children in the state had to turn five by October 16 to be eligible to enter kindergarten that year. Old-for-grade students are more likely to be convicted of a crime before age 20, the study said. A stock image of a young drink driver is shown . Children typically attend kindergarten when they are five or six year's old. Previous studies have established that children born just after the school-entry cut-off date and are ‘old for grade,’ perform better academically than their younger classmates. This has led to some parents trying to gain an academic advantage for children whose birthdays fall shortly before the cut-off date, by enrolling them later. In addition to performing better academically, Professor Cook's study found old-for-grade students were one-third less likely to engage in delinquent behaviour while still in school. ‘Up until the 16th birthday, it is all positive,’ he said. ‘They are doing better, relative to their classmates, by every measure. 'It makes sense, because they are more mature.’ However, after the age of 16, the picture shifts. The old-for-grade students are more likely to drop out and be convicted of a crime before age 20, the study said. The explanation for the behavioural change lies in the age at which students may legally withdraw from school, which is 16 in North Carolina. ‘If they were born before the cut-off date, they have just 19 months between their 16th birthday and graduation to be tempted to drop out,’ he said. ‘If they were born just after and enter school later, they have 31 months, and for some of them, it is an irresistible temptation.’ ‘It's human nature,' Professor Cook said. ‘For a lot of adolescents, high school is a drag.’ Among the old-for-grade students, the likelihood of dropping out and being convicted of a serious crime is almost three-and-half times greater for those born to an unwed mother and just over two-and-a-half times greater for those whose mothers were high school dropouts.
Research looked at children starting kindergarten in North Carolina .
Those who join closer to the age of six than five are called 'old-for-grade'
These 'old-for-grade' children did best academically at school until 16 .
Study also found they were a third less likely to engage in delinquent behaviour while still in school .
But were more likely to drop out and commit of a crime after the age of 16 .
Children who are are older when they start school may do well academically and socially in the short-term - but are more likely to abandon their studies and commit crimes as teenagers. A team of US researchers studied the impact that starting kindergarten has on children born 60 days before, and 60 days after the cut-off start date. And they found these negative outcomes are significantly more likely for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Children who are are older when they start kindergarten (a stock image is shown) are more likely to do well academically and socially in the short-term, but are also more likely to abandon their studies and commit crimes when they are teenagers, a new study has claimed . Philip Cook, a professor in Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy and lead author of the study, said: ‘This research provides the first compelling evidence of a causal link between dropout and crime. ‘It supports the view that crime outcomes should be considered in evaluating school reforms. ‘Dropouts are greatly over-represented in prison, so we know there is a strong association between dropping out and crime. ‘But to establish causation requires an experiment. My analysis takes advantage of nature's experiment associated with birth date.’ Professor Cook and Songman Kang of Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea carried out the research, published in American Economic Journal-Applied Economics. It is said to be the first study to link dropping out of school, and crime. The study compared North Carolina public school students born 60 days before, and 60 days after the school cut-off date. At the time of the study, children in the state had to turn five by October 16 to be eligible to enter kindergarten that year. Old-for-grade students are more likely to be convicted of a crime before age 20, the study said. A stock image of a young drink driver is shown . Children typically attend kindergarten when they are five or six year's old. Previous studies have established that children born just after the school-entry cut-off date and are ‘old for grade,’ perform better academically than their younger classmates. This has led to some parents trying to gain an academic advantage for children whose birthdays fall shortly before the cut-off date, by enrolling them later. In addition to performing better academically, Professor Cook's study found old-for-grade students were one-third less likely to engage in delinquent behaviour while still in school. ‘Up until the 16th birthday, it is all positive,’ he said. ‘They are doing better, relative to their classmates, by every measure. 'It makes sense, because they are more mature.’ However, after the age of 16, the picture shifts. The old-for-grade students are more likely to drop out and be convicted of a crime before age 20, the study said. The explanation for the behavioural change lies in the age at which students may legally withdraw from school, which is 16 in North Carolina. ‘If they were born before the cut-off date, they have just 19 months between their 16th birthday and graduation to be tempted to drop out,’ he said. ‘If they were born just after and enter school later, they have 31 months, and for some of them, it is an irresistible temptation.’ ‘It's human nature,' Professor Cook said. ‘For a lot of adolescents, high school is a drag.’ Among the old-for-grade students, the likelihood of dropping out and being convicted of a serious crime is almost three-and-half times greater for those born to an unwed mother and just over two-and-a-half times greater for those whose mothers were high school dropouts.
crime. The study compared North Carolina public students were one-third less likely to engage in delinquent behaviour while still in school. ‘Up because they are more mature.’ However, after the age of 16, the picture shifts. The old-for-grade students are more likely to drop out and be convicted of a crime before age 20, the study