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The relationships between occupation, education and intellectual ability at 30 years of age are analysed with particular reference to type of school attended at the age of 14 years. Data utilized are derived from interviews, psychological tests, local files of various schools, and journals of the National Services for Mentally Retarded. The study comprises all live births in the year 1940 of mothers then residing in Bergen, a total of 1570 persons. A sample was taken from this cohort after stratification according to type of school attended at age 14 years. The sample was supplemented with persons who had either attended Special Schools for the educable Mentally Retarded (EMR) or received care from the Services for the Mentally Retarded (SMR). The final sample consisted of 262 persons. A relationship was found for both sexes between type of school attended at the age of 14 years and level of general education at the age of 30. For men, both occupational training acquired and intellecutal ability at 30 years were also clearly related to type of school attended at age 14 years. The test performance of the male group was superior to that of the female group. Differing careers in the two sexes may provide a clue as to the reason underlying this finding.

The basis of the present study is a cohort of 1570 persons, all live births in 1940 of mothers then residing in Bergen. This birth-control was followed up in the compulsory school system at the age of 14 years. Information from the "parsons' lists" (birth registers) was gathered concerning the parents' social background, while facts about the students' recruitment to the compulsory school system in Bergen were obtained from the local files of the various schools and the files of The National Services for the Mentally Retarded. For the purpose of collecting more detailed information, a sample was taken from the birthcohort. This sample was formed on the basis of a stratification of the cohort according to type of school attended at 14 years of age. By supplementing the group comprising persons attending Special Schools for the Educable Mentally Retarded and the group including persons cared for by the National Services for the Mentally Retarded, a total sample of 262 persons was reached. It is found that recruitment to the school system varies considerably with socio-economic background. Children of higher officials were highly over-represented in Junior High School, while children of workers were noticeably under-represented at this type of school. Children of workers were over-represented in Continuation School, Elementary School classes for slow learners and Special Schools for the educable mentally retarded. However, a proportionally very similar representation of the social groups in the services for the mentally retarded was found.

The aim of the study was to quantify conditions of impaired or lost ability to work at the age of 30 years and to illustrate some of the possible underlying causes. The study is based on a cohort of 1570 persons, all live births in the year 1940 of mothers then residing in Bergen. The birth-cohort was followed up in the compulsory school system at the age of 14 years, and again at the age of 30 years, concluding as of 1st June 1971. Public records and registers were searched for information on living conditions, including social situation at the time of birth, school attended at the age of 14 years, income and disability at the age of 30 years. More detailed medical, psychological, educational, social and occupational histories were collected and individual medical/psychological tests were administered to a stratified random sample of the cohort. The sample was taken after stratification of the cohort according to the type of school attended in Bergen at the age of 14 years. It was supplemented with persons who had attended special schools for the educable mentally retarded and with persons who had received care from the national services for the mentally retarded. The final sample consisted of 262 persons. Results of the study will be presented in a series of articles. This article presents a description of the project and of the methods used in collecting the various data. The other articles will be published in Scand J Soc Med, Acta Neurol Scand, Acta Ophthal and Scand Audiol. They deal with the frequency of permanent, occupational disability at the age of 30 years and disability as related to medical, psychological and educational background. Also selfsupporting ability as well as earned income are discussed in an article. Some possible underlying causes of work-insufficiency are explored from a mainly social/educational and psychological point of view in two articles. Three articles deal with some specific medical conditions as related to school background and intellectual ability namely encephalopathy, visual and hearing impairments.

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