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on Education |
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Issue of 2005‒12‒01
twenty-one papers chosen by Joao Carlos Correia Leitao Universidade da Beira Interior |
| By: | Patrick Puhani (Institut für Volkswirtschaftslehre (Department of Economics), Technische Universität Darmstadt (Darmstadt University of Technology)); Andrea Maria Weber (Institut für Volkswirtschaftslehre (Department of Economics), Technische Universität Darmstadt (Darmstadt University of Technology)) |
| Abstract: | We estimate the effect of age of school entry on educational attainment using three different data sets for Germany, sampling pupils at the end of primary school, in the middle of secondary school and several years after secondary school. Results are obtained based on instrumental variable estimation exploiting the exogenous variation in month of birth. We find robust and significant positive effects on educational attainment for pupils who enter school at seven instead of six years of age: Test scores at the end of primary school increase by about 0.42 standard deviations and years of secondary schooling increase by almost half a year. |
| Keywords: | education, immigration, policy, identification |
| JEL: | I21 I28 J24 |
| Date: | 2005–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tud:ddpiec:151&r=edu |
| By: | M Niaz Asadullah (Oxford University) |
| Abstract: | This paper reports labour market returns to education in Bangladesh using data from recent nationwide household survey. Returns are estimated separately for rural and urban samples, males, females and private sector employees. Substantial heterogeneity in returns is observed; e.g. estimates are higher for urban (than rural sample) and female samples (compared to their male counterparts). Our ordinary least square estimates of returns to education are robust to control for types of schools attended by individuals and selection into wage work. |
| Keywords: | Education, labor market participation, sample selection, Bangladesh |
| JEL: | O P |
| Date: | 2005–11–19 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wpa:wuwpdc:0511020&r=edu |
| By: | Fabiana de Felício; Reynaldo Fernandes |
| Abstract: | The research on the relation between school quality and student achievement have many different results, but most analysts conclude that the school quality has little influence on student performance, as compared to background characteristics. However, there are evidences that difficulties using school inputs to represent school quality could underestimate the quality-achievement relation. The alternative methods suggested in this study are independent of school inputs. In both methods we have used data about 4th grade of Elementary School in São Paulo State from SAEB 2001. In the first one, a decomposition of standardized test score inequality - in part explained by school differences and another by background characteristics - indicates that school differences can explain something between 0.0 and 28.4% of Portuguese score inequality and between 8.7 and 34.4% of Mathematics score inequality. The second method estimates the school impact on student achievement by fixed effects, including dummy variables for each school. It's possible to obtain the interpretation from the simulations made that as for Portuguese as for Mathematics the means of SAEB scores can be improved in one standard deviation, which means 3 years of schooling when all students are included. This also happens when only students from public schools are included (three years of schooling for mathematics and 2.4 for Portuguese scores). This study indicates that educational policies and investments can improve student achievement by replicating existing experiences in the present educational system. |
| JEL: | I21 I28 P36 |
| Date: | 2005 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:anp:en2005:157&r=edu |
| By: | Elaine Toldo Pazello; Reynaldo Fernandes; Fabiana de Felício |
| Abstract: | The aim of this paper is to introduce a model of student flows. Starting with two years of the Brazilian Household Survey PNAD (2002 and 2003), school transition rates are identified for primary school and high school. These rates are used to project the education- related data in PNAD until 2009. The main contribution of the paper is to condition transition rates on schooling delay, unlike previous studies, which relied on a Markovian model. Furthermore, demographics are also taken into account. The estimates suggest that first grade entrance and approved rates decrease with schooling delay and increase with more educated parents. The projections indicate a smaller enrollment in the early grades of primary school. This may be the consequence of the primary school universalization, which has taken place in the last decade. The projections also indicate a significant rise in enrollment in high school. |
| JEL: | I21 |
| Date: | 2005 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:anp:en2005:155&r=edu |
| By: | Carine Milcent; Jack Huguenin; Danielle Carusi-Machado |
| Abstract: | In Brazil, even though school participation is compulsory for children between 7 to 14 years old, some of them are not enrolled in the education system. One of the main reasons is their participation to the work market that may have an impact on their health. Moreover, child's school attendance in public schools usually insures a meal to child but for children working, they have to accumulate two journeys: school and job. So, child's health could be explained by both, school attendance and work market participation. In addition, problems related to school attendance and school progress could be related to child work or his health. Therefore, we cannot explore determinants of one of these components school attendance, health and child work without studying their interactions. In this paper, we use the database Living Standards Measurement Study Survey 1996/1997 (Pesquisa de Padrões de Vida - PPV) to look at this interactions. It appears that child's labor and school attendance have a very strong correlation. School attendance has a negative impact in child's probability to participate in labor market. For instance, child ´s labor market affects negatively child ´s probability to evaluate his health as good and excellent. We also note that school attendance does not have a significant impact in child ´s health evaluation. The main conclusion of our article is that the development of human capital should consider together health and education. A policy focusing only in education, as incentives to go to school, does not seem to be sufficient to improve child's health. Also, government should also consider the population at risk, as children from poor families, living in worse conditions and obliged to work. |
| JEL: | I12 J13 J18 J24 |
| Date: | 2005 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:anp:en2005:173&r=edu |
| By: | Andréa Zaitune Curi; Naércio Aquino Menezes-Filho |
| Abstract: | The aim of this paper is to examine the relationship between the school performance and the wages of young Brazilians workers. We examine if school quality, measured by test scores of a generation in SAEB at the end of high school, affect the earnings of this generation when they enter the labor force, six years later. We use a pseudo-panel model to correct the problems of selection bias, created by migrations and by the high education level of the selected sample, through a Roy model (1951) applied in Dahl (2001). The determinants of school performance, like familiar background, school structure, teacher and director profiles also were analyzed. We conclude that in spite of school characteristics being responsible for a good performance of students in tests scores, what explains the differences of the earnings of young Brazilians workers is the school performance not explained by the model. |
| JEL: | I20 |
| Date: | 2005 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:anp:en2005:158&r=edu |
| By: | Seamus McGuinness; Jessica Bennett (Economic Research Institute of Northern Ireland) |
| Abstract: | This paper uses British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) data from 1991 to 2002 to assess the extent to which labour market returns have been affected by changes in the nature of educational supply. We find that whilst there have been substantial shifts in the returns to schooling over the period, these effects are much more pronounced for younger workers. The most notable change was the complete elimination of the premium for GCSE’s over no qualifications for both males and females under 30, and the fall in the returns to vocational degrees for young males. The disappearance of the GCSE premium, which is linked to a rising demand for low qualified workers, was found to temper the rise in inequality whilst the rise in educational participation was found to substantially increase male graduate wage dispersion. |
| Keywords: | LABOUR MARKET, EDUCATION, RETURNS TO SCHOOLING |
| Date: | 2005–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eri:wperin:6&r=edu |
| By: | Zhong Zhao (IZA Bonn and CCER, Peking University) |
| Abstract: | This paper identifies health determinants in urban China applying Grossman model. Using wave of China Health and Nutrition Survey in 2000, we find that education has important positive effect on health, and cost of health care services has significantly negative impact. However, effects of wage rate and household income are insignificant. We also find that region is an important determinant of health. The body weight is also important, but unlike finding in developed countries, under-weight instead of over-weight is a better predictor for poor health. Our results suggest that male has better health than female does, and married couple has better health in urban China. |
| Keywords: | self-reported health status, Grossman model, ordered probit, China |
| JEL: | I12 J24 D12 |
| Date: | 2005–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp1835&r=edu |
| By: | Richard Belfield; David Marsden |
| Abstract: | The introduction of performance-related pay and performance management schemes in the maintained, state,school sector represents a considerable change in the school management system. This paper combines theresults of opinion surveys of classroom and head teachers with Department for Education and Skills schoolperformance data to consider the operation and impact of the new system in England since 2000. We find thatteachers' response to the new system closely resembles that of other groups of public service workers to similarschemes. In particular, teachers appear not to be greatly motivated by the financial-incentive element of thesystem. However, the goal-setting and appraisal aspect of the system is steadily establishing itself in schools,and seems to be giving rise to a better alignment of teacher and school objectives and with those of nationallevelpolicy objectives. We present tentative evidence that improvements in goal setting within schools arepositively related to rising pupil academic performance. |
| Keywords: | Education, teachers, performance related pay, public sector, compensation, industrial relations |
| JEL: | I2 J33 J45 M52 |
| Date: | 2005–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cep:cepdps:dp0703&r=edu |
| By: | Lars-Erik Borge (Department of Economics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology); Linn Renée Naper, Department of Economics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Centre for Economic Research and Department of Economics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology) |
| Abstract: | The paper performs an efficiency analysis of the lower secondary school sector in Norway. The efficiency potential is calculated to 14 percent based on a DEA analysis with grades in core subjects (adjusted for student characteristics and family background) as outputs. The analysis of the determinants of efficiency indicates that a high level of municipal revenue, a high degree of party fragmentation, and a high share of socialists in the local council are associated with low educational efficiency. The negative effects of the share of socialists and party fragmentation seem to reflect both higher resource use and lower student performance. |
| Keywords: | educational efficiency; DEA analysis; determinants of efficiency; political and budgetary institutions |
| JEL: | I21 |
| Date: | 2005–11–17 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nst:samfok:6205&r=edu |
| By: | Fernando Garcia; Thaís Pons; Caio Mussolini |
| Abstract: | This article analyzes the effects of quality schooling on economic growth, focusing mainly the empirical aspects of this line of research. The text aims to answer fundamental questions put forward by recent literature: What effects education had on economic growth? Has the increase of average schooling affected equally both developed and developing countries? To answer these questions, the most relevant recent empirical studies are reviewed, analyzing not only their econometric results but also their methodologies. Then, econometric estimates are performed, bringing to light new evidence on the issue. They are more conclusive than previous results found in the literature, showing that effective education has a positive effect on growth. |
| JEL: | O15 O47 |
| Date: | 2005 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:anp:en2005:060&r=edu |
| By: | Marco Francesconi (University of Essex and IZA Bonn); Stephen P. Jenkins (ISER, University of Essex, DIW Berlin and IZA Bonn); Thomas Siedler (ISER, University of Essex, DIW Berlin and IZA Bonn) |
| Abstract: | We analyze the impact on schooling outcomes of growing up in a family headed by a single mother. Growing up in a non-intact family in Germany is associated with worse outcomes in models that do not control for possible correlations between common unobserved determinants of family structure and educational performance. But once endogeneity is accounted for, whether by using sibling-difference estimators or two types of instrumental variable estimator, the evidence that family structure affects schooling outcomes is much less conclusive. Although almost all the point estimates indicate that non-intactness has an adverse effect on schooling outcomes, confidence intervals are large and span zero. |
| Keywords: | childhood family structure, lone parenthood, educational success, sibling differences, instrumental variables, treatment effects |
| JEL: | C23 D13 I21 J12 J13 |
| Date: | 2005–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp1837&r=edu |
| By: | Gianluca Violante; Giovanni Gallipoli (Economics University College London); Costas Meghir |
| Keywords: | Education, Inequality, Equilibrium, Policy |
| JEL: | J20 J24 E20 E60 |
| Date: | 2005 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:red:sed005:522&r=edu |
| By: | Sandra E. Black; Paul J. Devereux; Kjell Salvanes |
| Abstract: | Lower birth weight babies have worse outcomes, both short-run in terms of one-year mortality rates and longer run in terms of educational attainment and earnings. However, recent research has called into question whether birth weight itself is important or whether it simply reflects other hard-to-measure characteristics. By applying within twin techniques using a unique dataset from Norway, we examine both short-run and long-run outcomes for the same cohorts. We find that birth weight does matter; very small short-run fixed effect estimates can be misleading because longer-run effects on outcomes such as height, IQ, earnings, and education are significant and similar in magnitude to OLS estimates. Our estimates suggest that eliminating birth weight differences between socio-economic groups would have sizeable effects on the later outcomes of children from poorer families. |
| JEL: | J1 I1 |
| Date: | 2005–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:11796&r=edu |
| By: | Patrick Bayer; Robert McMillan |
| Abstract: | Prompted by widespread concerns about public school quality, a growing empirical literature has measured the effects of greater choice on school performance. This paper contributes to that literature in three ways. First, it makes the observation that the overall effect of greater choice, which has been the focus of prior research, can be decomposed into demand and supply components: knowing the relative sizes of the two is very relevant for policy. Second, using rich data from a large metropolitan area, it provides a direct and intuitive measure of the competition each school faces. This takes the form of a school-specific elasticity that measures the extent to which reductions in school quality would lead to reductions in demand. Third, the paper provides evidence that these elasticity measures are strongly related to school performance: a one-standard deviation increase in the competitiveness of a school's local environment within the Bay Area leads to a 0.15 standard deviation increase in average test scores. This positive correlation is robust and is consistent with strong supply responsiveness on the part of public schools, of relevance to the broader school choice debate. |
| JEL: | I20 H41 R21 |
| Date: | 2005–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:11802&r=edu |
| By: | Justine S. Hastings; Thomas J. Kane; Douglas O. Staiger |
| Abstract: | This paper uses data from the implementation of a district-wide public school choice plan in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina to estimate preferences for school characteristics and examine their implications for the local educational market. We use parental rankings of their top three choices of schools matched with student demographic and test score data to estimate a mixed-logit discrete choice demand model for schools. We find that parents value proximity highly and the preference attached to a school's mean test score increases with student's income and own academic ability. We also find considerable heterogeneity in preferences even after controlling for income, academic achievement and race, with strong negative correlations between preferences for academics and school proximity. Simulations of parental responses to test score improvements at a school suggest that the demand response at high-performing schools would be larger than the response at low-performing schools, leading to disparate demand-side pressure to improve performance under school choice. |
| JEL: | I0 I20 I28 |
| Date: | 2005–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:11805&r=edu |
| By: | Joilson Dias; Maria Helena Ambrósio Dias; Fernandina Fernandes de Lima |
| Abstract: | In this paper, we develop a model that has as main outcome the existence of a non-linear relationship between growth and level of education (human capital). This non- linearity condition accrues from empirical estimation done at international level. Moreover, this non-linearity explains the contradictory results of the role of human capital, since a linear relationship has always been the assumption. The tests indicated that the basic econometric model should be a random effect model; however, this model assumes as a priori hypothesis the causality running from human capital. To solve the matter, we fit a dynamic panel data model for Brazilian States. The dynamic specification eliminates the causality problem and even considers the feed back effect of growth on education. The dynamic estimation found education lagged five periods to cause economic growth in the form of an inverted U relationship. The level of education (human capital) that generates the maximum growth rate lies between 4.5 and 4.7 years. The foremost implication of this result is that States with level of education below this range should have as priority education investment. |
| JEL: | O47 C51 |
| Date: | 2005 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:anp:en2005:065&r=edu |
| By: | Maria Dolores Montoya Diaz |
| Abstract: | This study analyses the impact of institutional characteristics on the students' performance in the National Examination of Higher Education Courses (Provão). A sample of more than 92500 students from Management, Law and Civil Engineering who had made the tests in the year 2000 was analyzed. Multilevel models have been fitted because these data present an evident hierarchical structure. Regarding individual aspects, one noted a nonlinear relation between economic condition and students´ performance. The contribution of higher levels of income on the performance had a limit, from which, the impacts were negative. As far as the institutional aspects are concerned, one found a positive impact on pupils´ performance of a teaching staff with higher percentage of PhDs and Masters, where there were better work conditions for the faculty and where research activities were used as a teaching/learning strategy. The students' participation in additional activities called "de extensão" had positive effects on their performance. Besides, this kind of activities generated an attenuating effect on the negative impact of the less favorable socioeconomic condition of the student. If the student had a familiar income less than R$454,00, its performance, in average, tend to be 3,6 points inferior to the one with familiar income higher than of R$ 7.550,00. However, if he participated in additional activities this difference will be reduced to approximately 2 points. If, additionally, the teaching staff shows more dedication and hard work, this difference will be reduced to 1 point. |
| JEL: | C21 |
| Date: | 2005 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:anp:en2005:156&r=edu |
| By: | Fabiana Rocha; Ana Carolina Giuberti |
| Abstract: | The purpose of this paper is to determine which components of public spending have influence on economic growth. The sample is composed by the Brazilian states over the period 1986-2002. Initially the spending is classified according its economic characteristics: current or capital. Later it is classified according its funcional characteristics: defence, education, health, transport and communication. The empirical evidence points that current spending is improductive in the sense it does not enhance economic growth. Capital spending, defence, education, transport and communication, on the other hand, are productive. |
| JEL: | H30 O11 |
| Date: | 2005 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:anp:en2005:049&r=edu |
| By: | Bernardo E. Lins; Joaquim P. Andrade |
| Abstract: | The paper reviews some relations between economic growth and the level of education attained by the individuals. It is shown that, whenever the consumptiondecisions are affected by a preference for education, a concept described by introducing knowledge in the utility function, the decisions of the consumers are affected when the provision of capital and skills differ. Individual choices are, therefore, affected by pressure mechanisms applied over the decisions of the social planner, and richer people are able to extend their privileges by having preferred access to education. |
| JEL: | O11 O15 |
| Date: | 2005 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:anp:en2005:058&r=edu |
| By: | Peter W Jones (Economic Development Institute) |
| Abstract: | In order for Jamaica to transition from a Developing Country to a Developed Country it will be highly necessary to create a Knowledge based society, the inability to seriously overcome this challenge will mean Jamaica will be in transition to a developed country for an infinite number of years. A lifelong learning framework encompasses learning throughout the lifecycle, from early childhood through retirement. It encompasses formal learning (schools, training institutions, universities); non- formal learning (structured on-the job training); and informal learning (skills learned from family members or people in the community). It allows people to access learning opportunities, as they need them rather than because they have reached a certain age. Lifelong learning in Jamaica is an important policy topic for government. This assumption is based on the impact of additional training on economic growth and on income distribution, particularly in an age when previously acquired knowledge is depreciating faster than before. |
| Keywords: | Government of Jamaica(GOJ), Ministry Of Education,Jamaica,Jamaica teachers association(JTA,Jamaica Union Of tertiary Students(JUTS),UWI Mona Guild Of Students,UTECH Students Union,People National Party(PNP), Jamaica Labour Party(JLP), Private Sector Of Jamaica(PSOJ),Jamaica Employers Fderation(JEF),Jamaica Chamber of Commerce(JCC),Kingston And St Andrew Corporation(KSAC), University Of The West Indies(UWI), University Of Technology(UTECH), Northern caribbean University(NCU),World Bank,Jamaica, International Monetary Fund,Jamaica, Inter-American Development Bank(IDB),Jamaica |
| JEL: | O P |
| Date: | 2005–11–21 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wpa:wuwpdc:0511022&r=edu |