School Problems and Family Background: A Norwegian Follow-up Study

Abstract

A cohort consisting of 1,015 pupils, 508 girls and 507 boys, were followed during the first three years of primary school. Reports from all individual examinations undertaken by school psychologists were available, as well as information about different forms of special education offered the first three years at school. A clear relationship between social background and individual examination at the School Psychology Service was revealed. Recruitment both to special classes for school beginners and classes for special education in mathematics was biased towards an overrepresentation of children of workers.