#12212. Does preschool attendance affect the urban-rural cognition gap among middle school students? Evidence from China Education Panel Survey

July 2026publication date
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Journal’s subject area:
Sociology and Political Science;
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Abstract:
Cognitive abilities have a great impact on individuals’ socioeconomic status. Among the factors that affect cognitive ability, early childhood development and preschool education are vital. However, evidence on the effect of preschool attendance on the urban-rural cognition gap from large-scale samples is almost nonexistent. Based on an education panel survey, this study fills this gap by presenting evidence of a significant cognition gap between urban and rural middle school students. We find a consistent positive relationship between preschool attendance and cognitive ability in grade 7 and grade 9 based on ordinary least squares and propensity score matching estimations. Results suggest that the differences between urban and rural students in preschool education account for 28% to 44% of the between-group cognition gap. We also simulate the effects of policy interventions meant to develop preschool education on the narrowing of the urban-rural cognition gap.
Keywords:
Cognition; Early childhood development; Education equality; Preschool education; Urban-rural gap

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