Summer-Born Babies Risk Academic Failure, UK Study Suggests
A new report from the Institute of Fiscal Studies in England has stated that babies born in the summer are at an academic disadvantage when compared to other children born earlier in the academic year.
According to the report, children by the age of seven may be three times more likely to be below average than children born in September. It also states that summer babies are 20 percent less likely to attend a top university.
In the U.K. September is the month the eldest children in any year group were generally born in. Therefore, a child born in August could quite often be 11 months younger than some classmates.
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The author of the report and IFS program director, Claire Crawford believes "this suggests that August-born children may end up doing worse than September-born children throughout their working lives, simply because of the month in which they were born."
The reason for this disadvantage is due to the date that the beginning of the school year falls on. The guidelines state that children reach compulsory school age at the beginning of the term following their fifth birthday. Yet, it is usual to start school in September following the child’s fourth birthday. This means that August babies would have just turned four when they enter school.
"We find evidence that, particularly at younger ages, summer-born children are more likely to report being unhappy at school and to have experienced bullying than autumn-born children.” Crawford said.
The report collected data from existing studies, and examined children’s educational marks. It also included teachers’ and parents’ perception of their abilities.
Ellen Greaves, a research economist at IFS, believes: "It is clear that the consequences of the month in which you were born extend beyond educational attainment.
“The effects may extend past childhood and limit the employment opportunities available later in adulthood.”
"This suggests that August-born children may end up doing worse than September-born children throughout their working lives, simply because of the month in which they were born," says Claire Crawford.
The report continues to state that parents of summer-born babies spend more time with them at home in order to compensate for their child’s birth date.
