#Socialmobility

A new longitudinal analysis of UK cohort data finds that children who test as “bright” at age five but grow up in low‑income families maintain academic parity with richer peers through primary school, only to experience a marked drop in school engagement, behaviour, mental health and exam outcomes during the move to secondary school between about ages 11 and 14. The paper — based on the Millennium Cohort Study and reported in a working paper and later published in Research in Social Stratification and Mobility — shows large gaps by the end of compulsory schooling: bright children from poor homes are roughly 26 percentage points less likely to secure top maths GCSE grades and about 21 points less likely to secure top English grades than equivalently high‑scoring peers from the richest families, after statistical adjustments link to working paper/summary and link to journal listing. For Thai educators and policymakers watching aspirations and social mobility, the study raises a clear alarm: early talent alone is not enough; the school transition matters, and social disadvantage can erode promise during early adolescence.

A devastating longitudinal analysis conducted by researchers at the Education Datalab and published in Research in Social Stratification and Mobility has uncovered a heartbreaking pattern affecting Thailand’s most vulnerable young minds: children who demonstrate exceptional academic ability at age five but grow up in low-income families maintain educational parity with their wealthier peers throughout primary school, only to experience catastrophic declines in school engagement, behavior, mental health, and examination performance during the traumatic transition to secondary education between ages eleven and fourteen. The research reveals staggering achievement gaps by the end of compulsory schooling, with academically gifted children from poor families becoming 26 percentage points less likely to secure top mathematics grades and 21 percentage points less likely to achieve excellence in English compared to equally intelligent peers from affluent backgrounds, even after statistical adjustments for other factors.

A rigorous longitudinal analysis conducted by Education Datalab, published in Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, exposes a troubling pattern in Thailand’s educational landscape. Brilliant children from low-income families show parity with their wealthier peers through primary school, but during the critical transition to secondary education, their engagement, behavior, mental health, and exam performance deteriorate sharply. By the end of compulsory schooling, the gap widens markedly: gifted students from poorer households are significantly less likely to achieve top mathematics grades or English excellence than their affluent counterparts, even after accounting for other factors.