Early school performance predicts later study choices, research finds

Pupils who perform well in the early years of basic education are likely to continue doing well through the end of basic education and are more likely to go on to upper secondary school, Yle reports, citing a study by Finland’s National Centre for Education Evaluation.

The study followed the same pupils’ academic performance and divided them into three achievement groups: low, middle and high.

Two-thirds of the pupils in the highest group in third grade were still in that group in sixth grade. About two-thirds of them went on to upper secondary school.

An equal share of pupils in the lowest achievement group continued to vocational education.