Análise do desempenho acadêmico com base no uso da mesada e na idade de entrada na escola : um estudo baseado nos dados do Pisa

Abstract

The present study is composed of two essays. The first investigates financial literacy and the use of allowance, while the second analyzes the impact of the age of entry into elementary school on academic performance. In the first essay, the effect of allowance on students' performance is studied using the Propensity Score Matching model, utilizing data from the 2018 PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment). The results show that non-conditional allowance benefits all young people, increasing their PISA scores, especially among girls, who have lower averages in financial literacy. However, when the allowance is tied to household chores, its effect becomes negative, as less time is available for studying, which negatively impacts financial literacy learning. The second essay also used PISA test data, but from 2022, and examines the relationship between the age of entry into elementary school and its various outcomes in adult life, highlighting the ongoing debate on the topic. According to the literature, the decision of when a child should start primary school is not consensual and depends on several factors, such as socioeconomic context and family, school, and individual characteristics. Therefore, this second study aims to analyze the impact of age of entry into elementary school on academic performance, using instrumental variables in five Latin American countries: Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Peru, and Mexico. The results indicate that students who entered elementary school early showed superior academic performance compared to those who started later, with particular emphasis on girls and students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds