The relationship between preschool education attendance and school performance and potential for improvement of preschool education in Serbia

• Published in: Psiholoska istrazivanja Vol. 16; no. 2; pp. 105 - 140
• Main Authors: Vujic, Suncica, Baronijan, Hana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Belgrade, Faculty of Philosophy, Institute of Psychology 2013
• Subjects: PISA data; preschool education; school performance
• ISSN: 0352-7379; 2560-306X
• DOI: 10.5937/PsIstra1302105V

Based on the data of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2003 and 2009, we look at the relationship between preschool attendance and school performance, taking into account socio-economic characteristics of a family and a household. The effect of preschool education on student achievement is measured through the 15-year-old pupils' scholastic performance in reading, mathematics and scientific literacy evaluated through PISA. We find that for male pupils the positive effect of preschool attendance on school performance disappears once we control for the factors of socio-economic background. In the sample of female pupils, the positive effect of preschool attendance on school performance remains significant even after we control for the factors of socio-economic background. Based on the PISA data results and the large nationally representative surveys (MICS, LSMS), we conclude that there are different possibilities for improvement of preschool education in Serbia, considered from the perspective of coverage and equity, quality of offered services, as well as a number of children per educator, and the total governmental resources earmarked for preschool education. This is important because improvement of preschool education contributes to the positive development of a relationship between preschool education and long-term education outcomes.