Table 3.

Treatment and control group observations: mean differences in select covariates

Covariates	Selective N = 1,602 (47%)	Comprehensive N = 1,826 (53%)	p-value	p-value (across IV median)
Cognitive ability, age 7	0.25 (1.1)	0.05 (1.1)	<0.001	0.32
Non-cognitive ability, age 11	6.95 (7.7)	7.74 (8.7)	0.21	0.06
Parents say pupil unhappy at primary school, age 7	5.6%	6.9%	0.50	0.08
Parents want pupil to stay in school	78%	77%	0.51	0.60
Male	48%	49%	0.30	0.83
No. of acute illnesses child suffered up until age 7
0	17%	20%
1	30%	27%
> 1	53%	53%	0.13	0.55
No. of times child was hospitalized up until age 7
0	69%	71%
1	25%	23%
> 1	6%	6%	0.31	0.10
Height at age 7 (in cm)	122.7 (5.6)	123.0 (5.7)	0.48	0.37
Epilepsy in family, until age 7	7.4%	7.5%	0.91	0.22
Presence of chronic illnesses in the family	2.3%	2.6%	0.50	0.67
Father SES
Low	18%	19%
Middle	53%	54%
High	29%	26%	0.23	0.11
Financial hardship episode (until child age 7)	5.1%	6.6%	0.24	0.36
% of population unemployed or disabled	4.3%	4.3%	0.67	0.74
% of women in formal employment	40.3%	42.2%	0.30	0.20
% of population in employed in mining and manufacturing	35.7%	37.6%	0.001	0.03
% of population in employed in agriculture	2.9%	2.6%	0.30	0.65
% of population in professional / managerial jobs	13.0%	12.3%	0.01	0.54
% of population in unskilled workers	6.5%	6.7%	0.04	0.48
% of population who is home owner	50.0%	47.1%	<0.001	0.19
% of population who is immigrant	1.8%	1.6%	0.29	0.93