Genetics are more important in a child’s academic performance than their socio-economic environment, according to a study.

The Economic Studies Institute of the Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations (CEOE) presented an education reform which also explains their belief that spending more on education does not guarantee better results.

The President of the CEOE warned that these reforms are “politically incorrect” and would have “electoral costs”. They also proposed that teachers need to be better trained and parents must take more interest in their children’s education.

The idea that the socio-economic environment and genetic factors determine a child’s performance more than their environment is based on studies of adopted and biological children in the same family, which show that the level of education of biological children is closer to their parents than that of adopted children.

They also point out that the greater presence of women amongst teachers has led to reduced work hours and intensive timetables, which could be detrimental to the pupils, as well as for other working mother, who can’t adapt their work hours to school timetables. Finally they defended that state and private schools should compete to improve the quality of education, and that children should not be segregated based on any difference.