World Cup summers affect exam results, study finds
Literacy levels and GCSE results dip during years when there is a football World Cup, according to the latest research.
Students who take their year 11 exams when there is an international football tournament happening could be distracted during revision times, which in turn harms their academic efforts, researchers at Oxford University have suggested.
BBC News reported that in a study between 2002 and 2008 of 3.5 million GCSE students, pupils dropped a quarter of a grade in each exam when sporting events were occurring.
Robert Metcalfe, leader of the research at the university, said: "For the most affected, which are disadvantaged boys, they have a much larger drop, the effect is doubled."
He added that there is a possibility that the pupils could drop on average half a grade during such times.
The next World Cup is due to take place in Brazil in 2014, with the 2018 tournament being held in Qatar.
