Summary

More often than in previous generations, individuals with low education tend to participate less than their peers in social institutions. They are less likely to enter a partnership and have children, participate less in labour market activities, and frequently end up with worse physical and mental health than others. A few, crucial moments in educational trajectories may determine whether these individuals set off on conducive educational pathways that define later life outcomes. These moments are often found during educational transitions, which often invoke changes in roles, status, and identity, both personally and socially.

This project aims to understand the effects of transitions in the educational system on later labour market participation, family formation and health. The project will consider how starting school at a suitable age, attending an upper secondary school of choice, and managing to complete upper secondary education affect later social participation and health. We will furthermore study how the relationship between completing upper secondary education, social participation, and health has changed over time, how these time trends differ by gender and socioeconomic background, and driving forces behind these trends.

Credible natural experiments will be applied to disentangle selection into later-life outcomes from causal impacts of sub-optimal transitions. The experiments include being born before or after new year, whether a school psychology office is established in the municipality to provide advice on school start, being above vs. below a grade point threshold for entry into an upper secondary school, the introduction of new upper secondary admissions systems, passing or failing on a particular exam, and applying for apprenticeship or vocational-academic transfer at a time with varying supply.

See the full project description at Cristin for more information about results, researchers, contact information etc.

Project participants

Project leader

Martin Flatø, Senter for fruktbarhet og helse, Norwegian Institute of Public Health

Project participants

Torkild Hovde Lyngstad, Department of Sociology and Human Geography, University of Oslo
Kathryn Christine Beck, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Bernt Magne Bratsberg, Ragnar Frisch Centre for Economic Research
Berit Lødding, NIFU Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education
Asgeir Skålholt, NIFU Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education
Kari Vea Salvanes, NIFU Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education
Per Minor Magnus, Senter for fruktbarhet og helse, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Rannveig Kaldager Hart, Senter for fruktbarhet og helse, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Miriam Evensen, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Jonas Minet Kinge, Senter for fruktbarhet og helse, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Vegard Fykse Skirbekk, Senter for fruktbarhet og helse, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Øystein Kravdal, Senter for fruktbarhet og helse, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Jonathan Wörn, Senter for fruktbarhet og helse, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Bjørn-Atle Reme, Senter for fruktbarhet og helse, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Fartein Ask Torvik, Senter for fruktbarhet og helse, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Camilla Stoltenberg, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Andreas Kotsadam, Ragnar Frisch Centre for Economic Research