The browser you are using is not supported by this website. All versions of Internet Explorer are no longer supported, either by us or Microsoft (read more here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-ie-support).

Please use a modern browser to fully experience our website, such as the newest versions of Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari etc.

Anna Tegunimataka . Photo

Anna Tegunimataka

Senior lecturer

Anna Tegunimataka . Photo

Does First Language training matter for Immigrant children’s School Achievement? Evidence from a Danish school reform

Author

  • Anna Tegunimataka

Summary, in English

This article explores municipal variation in the implementation of a Danish educational reform. The aim of the reform was to increase the assimilation of immigrants, and removing mother-tongue training for first- and second-generation immigrants was believed to increase their proficiency in Danish. This article uses a difference-in-differences method to explore the effect of this removal on children’s educational outcomes in terms of grades in standardised tests in class nine, assessing both grades in the majority language Danish and grades in mathematics. This study, furthermore, takes potential heterogeneities in terms of gender and immigrant generation into consideration. This study shows that the expected results of the reform were not obtained. Rather the opposite that the removal of mother-tongue training leads to lower grades in Danish for boys and in mathematics for both boys and girls.

Department/s

  • Department of Economic History
  • Centre for Economic Demography

Publishing year

2021-09-04

Language

English

Pages

316-340

Publication/Series

Nordic Journal of Migration Research

Volume

11

Issue

3

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

De Gruyter Open

Topic

  • International Migration and Ethnic Relations

Keywords

  • Immigrant integration
  • Second-language acquisition
  • School reform
  • School achievements

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1799-649X