Research

Studies have shown that early investments improve outcomes for disadvantaged children. Targeted early childhood interventions aimed at vulnerable children have lasting positive impacts throughout the participants' life course, consequently reducing inequalities. However, results from targeted programs cannot be generalized to universal Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). Universal ECEC, available to all children, may increase inequalities given stratification in access to nationwide programs. In order to analyze whether universal ECEC has the same equalizing effects as the targeted programs, this study uses a systematic review and meta-analysis of quasi-experimental evidence to examine the impact of universal ECEC on children's outcomes throughout their lives, focusing on how it affects children from different socioeconomic statuses (SES). The findings indicate that universal ECEC is an effective policy strategy for equalization, as it reduces inequalities by benefiting more children from disadvantaged families. Low SES children benefit more in the non-cognitive domain than high SES children. Starting ECEC before age three improves the chances of better outcomes for disadvantaged children. The results demonstrate significant variability across regions, with European programs standing out in delivering positive outcomes for children from vulnerable backgrounds. The study emphasizes the importance of equitable access to universal ECEC to reduce inequalities and foster long-lasting positive impacts on children's development and life chances.

Studies of teleworking and well-being increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article aims to provide an overview of this emerging body of knowledge. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we performed a scoping review using Social Sciences Citation Index (Web of Science), Sociological Abstracts (PROQUEST), and SocINDEX with full text (EBSCOhost). Articles published in English up to December 2022 were included. The result was a total of 2695 potentially relevant studies. After a double-screening procedure, 132 studies were chosen for data extraction. A content analysis was carried out to provide a summary of the social mechanisms linking teleworking to indicators of well-being related to mental health and quality of life. A complex picture of variables emerges on the impact of teleworking through direct or indirect mechanisms and a number of interactions with worker’s characteristics. First, the features of the environment matter, as it affects well-being, for example, depending on a better digital infrastructure, access to daylight and sufficient space. Second, it is not only a question of “where” we telework, but also “how much”. The advantages of a hybrid mode seem to be emerging to avoid an excessive lack of in-person social interaction, while offering greater flexibility in organizing daily life and reducing commuting times. Third, beyond the modalities of teleworking per se, it is key to take into account how these interact with workers’ personalities, their choices and preferences, which are often dictated by the stage of life they are in, e.g., parenting and career stages. In sum, the literature suggests that a straight answer on the positive or negative effects of teleworking is neither useful nor necessary. Multiple answers are possible to unveil the specific working arrangements that makes workers’ lives better according to their different needs. It seems essential to continue research on teleworking away from the exceptional stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic, which have greatly skewed the evidence on the detrimental effects of teleworking. Planning more complex research designs using longitudinal data and network analyses could improve understanding of how teleworking is changing careers, lifestyles and social relationships.

By combining various factors related to social background, this study uses a more comprehensive concept to assess relative educational mobility. The inequality of educational opportunity (IEOp) approach estimates the share of inequality in educational performance that can only be attributed to students' characteristics beyond their control (circumstances). One-fifth of students' educational achievement in Switzerland can be attributed to circumstances. Canton level analysis reveals significant variations, with the German-speaking region exhibiting higher levels of unfair educational inequalities. The IEOp estimates are decomposed to identify the contributions of different circumstances and better understand the observed inequality. Socioeconomic status, parental education, and occupation emerge as the predominant factors in most cantons. The institutional structure of cantonal education systems, including the level of stratification in secondary schools and educational inputs in primary schools, is linked to the inequality of educational opportunity. A higher level of stratification in compulsory school leads to greater inequality of opportunity without improving efficiency. Increasing instructional time at primary school is related to higher student achievement, particularly for those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. The findings support the theory that early-age schooling has the potential to address inequalities, improve student achievement, and demonstrate that equity and efficiency are not exclusive dimensions.

We investigate the extent to which families can offset the adverse effect of a young school starting age (SSA) on children’s educational attainment and how this relates to institutional features of the education system. We hypothesize that parents’ ability to compensate for an early educational disadvantage of their offspring may be a function of the selectivity of an education system. To test this hypothesis, we study the causal link between SSA and the likelihood of students being placed in higher tracks in lower secondary and academic tracks in upper secondary education in Switzerland. We investigate the extent to which parents from different socioeconomic backgrounds can mitigate this early educational setback, considering resources such as parental education, occupation, and income. The findings indicate that a lower SSA reduces the chances of students entering advanced tracks, although this impact diminishes as they grow older. Concerning parental resources, highly educated parents compensate for a young SSA only during the first transition to lower secondary education, a point with relatively low educational selectivity. In contrast, during the second transition to upper secondary education, a point at which the education system exhibits higher selectivity, there is no compensation by parental education and, thus, rather support for a boosting advantage model of educational attainment. These findings demonstrate that parents’ ability to compensate for an early educational disadvantage varies with the selectivity of an education system.

This study assesses the impact of rapid ECEC expansion for children aged 0 to 3 years through public-private partnerships in São Paulo, Brazil, on academic performance. Despite partnerships having, on average, worse structural quality than public centers, attending these partnership centers shows a small but positive effect on educational outcomes driven by children who attend childcare for one year. However, prolonged attendance of two to three years is associated with decreasing test scores, with the negative effects increasing the longer children stay, raising concerns about service quality for younger children and the cumulative impact of extended exposure to lower-quality environments. Contrary to expectations, children attending partnership centers in disadvantaged areas did not perform worse than those in better-off regions, despite concerns about limited resources. Interestingly, positive effects are concentrated in moderately disadvantaged neighborhoods, suggesting that governance may play a crucial role. These findings emphasize the need to account for variability in effects when evaluating ECEC policies to inform policy decisions beyond average impacts.

This project seeks to understand why only 22% of Brazilian students regularly consume meals from the National School Feeding Programme (PNAE), while 30% do not consume them at all. The findings will provide valuable insights for policymakers, aiming to enhance the program's reach and effectiveness in promoting healthy eating habits among students.

PNAE is a government initiative to provide nutritious meals to students in public schools throughout Brazil. According to the United Nations World Food Programme report, it is one of the biggest school feeding programs in the world:
“With an annual budget of more than R$ 4 billion (US$764 million), the Brazilian National School Feeding Programme (PNAE) caters to more than 40 million students, in more than 160,000 schools, across 5,570 Brazilian municipalities. The programme is responsible for the daily offer of 50 million meals, planned by more than 8,000 nutritionists and monitored by 80,000 School Feeding Board members”.