Intergemeentelijke verhuizingen gedurende de onderwijsloopbaan en bereikt opleidingsniveau

Abstract

This paper sets out to investigate whether residential mobility (change of municipality) between age 6 and 16 affects educational attainment in the Netherlands. Data from the Family Survey Dutch Population 1998 show that there is a positive relationship between a change of municipality and the highest attained diploma, but that most of this relationship disappears when parents' socio-economic status is controlled for. Apparently, parents with higher levels of schooling and occupational status more often move to another municipality than lower status parents. This finding refutes the hypothesis that residential mobility has negative consequences for children due to a loss of social capital. Our claim of the non-existen-ce of a causal relationship between residential mobility and children's educational career is further supported by our finding that residential mobility is related to success in tertiary education only and not to success in secondary education.