The Socio-Economic Gradient in Young Children’s Wellbeing at School

• In Event: 4167 - Section on Children and Youth Roundtables (1 hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Children & Youth Roundtable 2: Physical Health

Abstract

Research has established that children from higher educated and more wealthy families are likely to outperform children from less affluent backgrounds academically. Whereas academic performance is a well-studied topic, less is known about children’s wellbeing at school. We use current national individual-level administrative survey and register data for the total population of three cohorts of Danish school children (grade1, 2, and 3) to study if a socio-economic gradient exists with regard to young children’s wellbeing at school. These data are unique because 1) the survey instrument was specifically designed to ask young children themselves about their wellbeing at school, 2) they allow for separate analysis of three dimensions of wellbeing (school satisfaction, social-, and psychological wellbeing), and 3) the study was mandated to cover all schools and students at the national level. Results from our regression estimates demonstrated that, whereas no sizable socio-economic gradient existed with regard to school satisfaction, parental education and income were both associated with gradients in social and psychological wellbeing at school. As children spend a substantial part of their daily lives in school, it is important to understand the dynamics contributing to their social and psychological wellbeing in these, often primary, learning environments. This study is among the first to assess disparities in school wellbeing among young children, and doing so using data specifically designed to give voice to the children themselves.

Authors

• Lisbeth Loft, University of Copenhagen

• Jane Waldfogel, Columbia University