The Value of Family Background for Educational Attainment

This paper examines the impact of family background on children's schooling attainments. It outlines the discussion in the economic community presenting studies that give empirical evidence of several important characteristics as parents' education, income and other environmental factors that lead to a higher level of children's schooling. Based on a research that claims to have quantified genetic influence on schooling using data of adopted children, this paper discusses possible methodological problems arguing that the authors' estimation seems to ignore an important intervenient variable, the age of the adopted children at adoption.