School Performance Depends on the Genes, not Teachers

The scientists from King’s College London have found that students’ performance at school depends on a set of genes rather than on the talent of their teachers. Success at examinations is mostly determined by good heredity rather than diligence.

Analysis of the grades of 11,000 adolescents showed that DNA was twice more important factor of success in teaching than any external circumstances.

Thus, the scientists have aggravated the situation and supported the ongoing heated debates about what makes a child an excellent student – good genetics or diligence, as well as the quality of teaching. Interestingly, a few days ago the Mayor of London Boris Johnson caused universal outrage when he said that some people occupy responsible positions simply because they are more talented by nature than others who “are not going to rise to the top of the cornflake packet.”

The study showed that the genes of each child determine 58% of the difference in the performance between the students with good heredity and those who do not have good heredity, if you take the subjects, such as English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and other sciences. External factors, such as the quality of teaching at school, places and living conditions as well as student family environments, provide the difference in performance only to the extent of 29%. The remaining factors account for no more than 13%.

It is worth saying that good heredity mostly has its effect in the field of the sciences. Achievements in the humanities are influenced by the genes not so vividly as by external factors: 58% vs. 42%.