PARENTS KNOW THEM BETTER: THE EFFECT OFOPTIONALEARLY ENTRY ON PUPILS' SCHOOLING ATTAINMENT
利用意大利小学生全样本数据，研究发现父母可自主选择入学年龄的学生比受法律强制入学年龄限制的学生表现更好，表明家长选择能优化儿童特征与正式学习开始的匹配。
The effect of optional early school entry on pupils' educational outcomes is investigated using data covering the entire population of Italian primary school students and exploiting exogenous thresholds imposed by norms regulating first enrollment. Results highlight the fact that pupils whose parents can choose when their children start school perform better than those who are bounded by terms imposed by law. These findings suggest that parental choice leads to a better match between pupils' characteristics and the beginning of formal learning. Results show that giving parents the option to anticipate or delay school entry could be a beneficial measure.