Last week Sadiq Khan revealed plans to install air filters in 200 London schools, stating:
“I want every single child to breathe clean air in and around their school”
This is certainly a worthwhile goal.
The evidence on the impact of air pollution on physical heath is well established. For instance, in 2019, pollution has been estimated to be responsible for the equivalent of between 3,600 to 4,100 deaths in Greater London.1
The evidence on the effects of pollution on education related outcomes are however mixed. Traffic-related air pollution, specifically NO2, has been shown to be associated with lower educational attainment at age 15/16, but the same is not true for other pollutants.2 Similarly, there is mixed evidence on the association between exposure to different air pollutants and cognitive development up to age 7.3 Pollution does not appear to be associated with school attendance on average across all schools, but reducing pollution does appear to increase attendance at schools with a high share of disadvantaged students.4
Regardless of the precise effects during childhood, early childhood exposure to pollution has been shown to have significantly impacts on later life outcomes.5
