Selective Schooling Systems Increase Inequality

Simon Burgess (), Matt Dickson and Lindsey Macmillan ()

No 8505, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: We investigate the impact on earnings inequality of a selective education system in which school assignment is based on initial test scores. We use a large, representative household panel survey to compare adult earnings inequality of those growing up under a selective education system with those educated under a comprehensive system. Controlling for a range of background characteristics and the current location, the wage distribution for individuals who grew up in selective schooling areas is quantitatively more unequal, and the difference is statistically significant. The total effect sizes are large: 14% of the raw 90-10 earnings gap and 18% of the conditional 90-10 earnings gap can be explained by differences across schooling systems.

Keywords: selective schooling; inequality; wages; quantile regression (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I24 J31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 39 pages
Date: 2014-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-edu
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Published - revised version published as 'Do selective schooling systems increase inequality? ' in: Oxford Economic Papers , 2020, 72 (1), 1 - 24

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Related works:
Journal Article: Do selective schooling systems increase inequality? (2020)
Working Paper: Selective schooling systems increase inequality (2014)
Working Paper: Selective Schooling Systems Increase Inequality (2014)
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