A Simple DNA Test Could Predict How Well Your Child Will Do At School
But it’s likely to concern privacy advocates.
Earlier this week, scientists revealed that
human intelligence could be accurately assessed by an MRI
scanner. Now researchers at King’s College London have
suggested that school performance can be predicted by DNA.
The study focuses on an individual’s
“polygenic score”, which is calculated based on the presence or absence of
20,000 common DNA variants, the FT reported. Together, the DNA
variants explain as much as 10% of a child’s educational attainment at the age
of 16.
It doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’s by far
the best DNA-based indicator yet of someone’s academic ability. King’s Saskia
Selzam told the FT: “When we think about differences between boys and girls in
maths, gender explains about 1% of the variance.”
Privacy campaigners are, however, likely to
oppose a move to share DNA with schools, fearing that the data could be used to
segregate students.
Nevertheless, the research team hopes that
polygenic scores could identify learning difficulties before they have
developed. King’s Professor Robert Plomin told the FT: “These details could
guide additional support that is tailored to a child’s individual needs.”
Children with high polygenic scores achieved
GCSEs at A and B level and had a 65% chance of going on to study A-levels.
Those with low scores averaged Bs and Cs and had a 35% chance of studying at
sixth form.
“This makes a real difference for life
chances,” researchers said. “Twice as many of the individuals with the highest
polygenic scores go on to university as compared to those with the lowest
scores.”
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Pralhad
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Khaitan
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