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August Babies Less Likely To Go To Top Universities, More Likely To Be Bullied, Research Claims

August Babies More Likely To Struggle

Huffington Post UK   First Posted: 01/11/11 12:37 GMT Updated: 01/11/11 17:05 GMT

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Children born in August are less likely to go on to study at top universities, more likely to be bullied at school and struggle to catch up with their peers, a study has revealed.

The report, claims those who are born in the summer months are more than twice as likely to report being "always unhappy" at school or being bullied all the time, compared to classmates born in September.

The research, published on Tuesday by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), also claims August babies are a fifth less likely to attend a Russell Group university than their September peers. Those who are seemingly unfortunate enough to have been born during August also:

  • Score "substantially lower" in national achievement tests
  • Have lower confidence in their academic ability
  • Are less likely to believe they control their own destiny

The figures resulted from a comparison between August and September babies and it seems the latter have a natural head-start in the world.

But the research also found parents of children born in August provide a "richer home learning environment".

"This provides some evidence to support the notion that parents attempt to compensate for the disadvantages that their August-born children face in school by spending more time at home helping them learn", the report continues.

Ellen Greaves, a research economist at IFS, said the consequences of being born in a particular month "clearly extended" beyond educational attainment.

"Particularly at younger ages, summer-born children are more likely to report being unhappy at school.

"In light of this, the government should be concerned about the experience of summer-born children who appear to be at a disadvantage in terms of their well-being as well as their test scores", she added.

But similar research was published in 2008 by the then Labour government, who suggested summer-born children should be allowed to defer entry for up to a year.

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Children born in August are less likely to go on to study at top universities, more likely to be bullied at school and struggle to catch up with their peers, a study has revealed. The report, claim...
Children born in August are less likely to go on to study at top universities, more likely to be bullied at school and struggle to catch up with their peers, a study has revealed. The report, claim...
 
 
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Deirdre Shaw
22 Fans
07:31 AM on 12/13/2011
As my birthday is in August, I was always the youngest and smallest in my school year. I sat the 11+ when I was 10 years 5 months, my O Levels and A Levels two months shy of my 16th and 18th birthdays. I didn't do well enough to go on to any tertiary education and my school days were far from being the happiest of my life. In my mid thirties, having developed a secret belief that I had been capable of much more, I embarked on a part-time degree whilst I worked full time. Now I have a First Class BA and an MA with Merit. I wish I had had the confidence earlier to believe I was capable of academic success but, as a child, I could only compare myself with older, incredibly bright and motivated girls.

It would be simplistic to say that being an August child was the sole reason for underachievement. There are going to be social factors as well, like the likelihood of being bullied by older pupils and, perhaps, complacent schools and parents who have no wish for their children to achieve any great success for fear of being outdone by them. However, it can hardly have taken a formal study to see the logic in a year's age difference in one's early teens making a difference to one's chances.
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Morgana R Barbknecht
14 Fans
07:52 PM on 12/03/2011
that's because an august-born student is nearly a full year younger than a september-born student. class-enrollment age cutoffs bla bla bla
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
wyndchas78
Just because you can doesn't mean you should.
58 Fans
02:39 PM on 11/02/2011
This is a total bunch of bull. I was a very happy child did not get bullied. I did extremely well on tests. I was the youngest out of all my friends in school and did a lot better than them.
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phorsr
6 Fans
11:45 AM on 11/02/2011
what a load of tosh. I provide a rich study environment for all my children including my Leo daughter and she's formidable. She's one of the youngest in every class and always top of any subject she likes.
Children should progress in school according to their ability and not artificial age boundaries. while age could be a guide, it should not be the sole measure. This production line mentality of educating children is removing the Great out of Great Britain.
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Tulka2
Solidarity. Courage. Humor.
2560 Fans
07:52 PM on 11/01/2011
To sum up.  Babies born in August should be held back a year from kindergarten b/c they are born too late in the year to be caught up with five-year-olds born in January.  It's got nothing to do with being born in August or being born a Leo.  It's all about when schools have their cut-off birthday dates for each year. 

You scared a whole bunch of people with Leo babies.  They were thinking, "Did the hot weather hurt my baby?" 

Do the Huff Post headline writers read the stories?
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