The primary effect of ethnic origin – rooted in early childhood? An analysis of the educational disadvantages of Turkish-origin children during the transition to secondary education in Germany

Abstract

We apply Boudon’s distinction between primary and secondary effects to ethnic educational inequalities and analyze the primary effects of ethnic origin, i.e., ‘ethnic gaps’ in children’s school performance net of social origin. First, we replicate previous research and examine the importance of the primary effects of ethnic origin in explaining the disadvantages of Turkish-origin children during the transition to secondary education in Germany. Second, we trace the roots of these disparities in early childhood and analyze how far skill gaps at age three can explain later ethnic differences in school performance. We used longitudinal data with about 500 children of native-born parents and 400 children of Turkish origin from the age of three until the fourth grade. Results show that the primary effects of ethnic origin substantially contribute to the unequal transition rates to the Gymnasium. The primary effects of ethnic origin can be traced back to early childhood. In particular, German language skills at age three are highly predictive of ethnic inequalities in later school performance.