Study examines childhood influences that affect education and finances later in life

Using a public library at the age of nine was also more associated with higher rates of getting a degree. File picture

Children who used a library at the age of nine, and those who did not have a TV in their bedroom at the same age, were more likely to go on and complete a degree by the time they turned 25, a new study has found.

Furthermore, children of parents who were well off at the age of nine reported far higher rates of finding it easy to make ends meet by the age of 25 than those who grew up in poorer households.

The latest results from the landmark Growing Up in Ireland study delve into the experiences of the cohort born in 1998.

“In Wave 1 when the respondents were aged 9, parents of respondents were asked questions relating to the child’s use of a public library, whether the child had a television in their bedroom, how far did they expect their child to go in their education or training, and the household’s income,” CSO statistician Dr Caragh Stapleton said.

“Analysis was carried out to examine the relationship between these factors and the respondents’ level of education and financial well-being at age 25.” 

When their children were aged nine, parents were asked how far they expected their child to go in education.

Less than two in five (37%) of those whose parents did not expect them to reach a degree level education had obtained one by the time they were 25.

This compared with over two-thirds (69%) whose parents did expect them to get a degree who managed to get one by the same age.

In terms of having a television in their bedroom, almost 70% of those who didn’t at age nine had a degree by the time they were 25. 

Meanwhile, only 45% of those who did have a TV in their room at the same age achieved a degree by the midpoint of their 20s.

Using a public library at the age of nine was also more associated with higher rates of getting a degree.

More than six in 10 (63%) respondents whose parents used the public library for them had a degree-level qualification or equivalent at age 25 compared with 53% of those who did not use the public library, the CSO said.

Furthermore, less than a quarter of people who lived in a household earning in the top 20% of incomes at the age of nine had difficulty making ends meet by the time they were 25.

This compared with 45% of those whose household was in the bottom 20% of earnings.

Similarly, those in higher income households at age nine had less difficulty meeting loan repayments than those in poorer households at age 25.

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Dr Stapleton added: “In addition to the 1998 cohort, GUI has two additional cohorts for those born in 2008 and those born in 2024.

“The multi-cohort design will allow for future comparisons to be made across all three cohorts to help better understand what impacts education and financial well-being outcomes across different generations.”

The CSO added that its data is not directly comparable to results like the Census that reflect the full population of those at the age of 25 in Ireland at a certain time, as its results would also include people who had moved to Ireland after 2008.

Late last year, a new study reviewing evidence from Growing Up in Ireland data found that a gap in developmental and academic outcomes for children from different backgrounds in Ireland is visible “as early as age three and widens through the school years".