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The Immigrant-Native Educational Achievement Gap in Countries with Selective Immigration Policies

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  • Chris Sakellariou

    (Economics, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore)

Abstract

The literature on the immigrant-native educational achievement gap is suggestive of a better performance of immigrant students in countries practicing selective immigration policies. However, the origin of such differences remains unexplained. I use PISA data and an investigative method which considers both important observed characteristics and the role of unobservables in explaining immigrant-native achievement differences in four selective immigration countries. I find that 1st generation immigrant students generally perform as well as native students after accounting for unobservables. In two countries – Australia and Singapore – 2nd generation immigrant students exhibit a consistent performance advantage even after considering unobservables. In explaining the findings, one needs to look at successful immigration policies as screening devices which induce self-selection of immigrants with transferable and adaptive skills. Finally, institutional differences with respect to how inclusionary and conducive to integration of immigrants into the host country policies are, should also be part of the explanation.

Suggested Citation

  • Chris Sakellariou, 2018. "The Immigrant-Native Educational Achievement Gap in Countries with Selective Immigration Policies," Economic Growth Centre Working Paper Series 1801, Nanyang Technological University, School of Social Sciences, Economic Growth Centre.
  • Handle: RePEc:nan:wpaper:1801
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    File URL: http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/hss2/egc/wp/2018/2018-01.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Joseph G. Altonji & Todd E. Elder & Christopher R. Taber, 2005. "Selection on Observed and Unobserved Variables: Assessing the Effectiveness of Catholic Schools," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 113(1), pages 151-184, February.
    2. Heather Antecol & Deborah A. Cobb-Clark & Stephen J. Trejo, 2004. "Selective immigration policy in Australia, Canada, and the United States," Brussels Economic Review, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles, vol. 47(1), pages 57-76.
    3. Abdurrahman Aydemir, 2011. "Immigrant selection and short-term labor market outcomes by visa category," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 24(2), pages 451-475, April.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Educational achievement gap; selective immigration policies; unobservables;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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