Determinants of grade retention in France and Spain: Does birth month matter?

Abstract

In France and Spain, children born in the same calendar year start school together, regardless of maturitydifferences due to their birth month. This paper analyses the educational impact of birth month on the proba-bility of grade retention controlling by other covariates. Using the PISA 2009 database for both countries, wedo identify a great impact on grade retention since students born in the last months of the year are between70% and 80% more likely to repeat a grade than children born in the first months of the same year. Weconclude that policy interventions are required in those countries to ensure that individuals are not unfairlypenalized by their birth month.