In Luxembourg, the 1 September school-entry cut-off creates sharp inequalities from the very start of schooling. Children born in August—just before the cut-off—are about twice as likely to repeat a grade by age 8 as those born in September, with lasting consequences for their educational pathways and labour market prospects.
New evidence from the 2009 childcare reform shows that expanding early childhood education and care through the Chèque-Service Accueil reform significantly reduced this gap. In municipalities with the largest increases in childcare provision, the age penalty fell by up to 50%. The gains are strongest for disadvantaged and migrant children, highlighting ECEC as a powerful and equitable policy lever to improve outcomes and system efficiency.
