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Schooling with learning: The effect of free primary education and mother tongue instruction reforms in Ethiopia

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  • Chicoine, Luke
Abstract
In developing regions, significant increases in primary school enrollment are often generated by large national level programs, which could simultaneously promote overcrowding and reductions in education quality. In a difference-in-differences framework, this paper exploits geographic variation in pre-reform levels of schooling and the timing of the policy changes in Ethiopia to examine the impact of both removing school fees and introducing mother tongue instruction in the early 1990s. The two reforms lead to a net increase of approximately 0.7 years of school. Further evidence suggests that the additional enrollment also led to an increase in literacy, knowledge of family planning material from newspapers and magazines, knowledge of HIV, and the likelihood of knowing a location for HIV testing. These increases occur without a concurrent increase in reading, suggesting an improved ability to identify and retain information. However, the positive returns were generated by the removal of school fees. The introduction of mother tongue instruction led to a reduction in schooling and had no impact on literacy; consequences that were most severe in regions that introduced the new language of instruction in a script that was rarely used prior to the reform.

Suggested Citation

  • Chicoine, Luke, 2019. "Schooling with learning: The effect of free primary education and mother tongue instruction reforms in Ethiopia," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 94-107.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:69:y:2019:i:c:p:94-107
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2019.01.002
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    Cited by:

    1. McGavock, Tamara, 2021. "Here waits the bride? The effect of Ethiopia's child marriage law," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
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    3. Pierce, Hayley & Foster, Kathryn, 2020. "Health and well-being outcomes of women and children in Sub-Saharan Africa: Examining the role of formal schooling, literacy, and health knowledge," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    4. Pooja Nakamura & Adria Molotsky & Rosa Castro Zarzur & Varsha Ranjit & Yasmina Haddad & Thomas De Hoop, 2023. "Language of instruction in schools in low‐ and middle‐income countries: A systematic review," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 19(4), December.
    5. Hemanshu Kumar & Rohini Somanathan & Mahima Vasishth, 2022. "Language and learning in ethnically mixed communities," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(2), pages 835-846, May.
    6. Leighton, Margaret, 2022. "Mother tongue reading materials as a bridge to literacy," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    7. Pooja Nakamura & Zelealem Leyew & Adria Molotsky & Varsha Ranjit & Kevin Kamto, 2023. "PROTOCOL: Language of instruction in schools in low‐ and middle‐income countries: A systematic review," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 19(2), June.
    8. Hemanshu Kumar & Rohini Somanathan & Mahima Vasishth, 2020. "Language and Learning in Ethically Mixed Communities: A Study of School Children in an Indian Village," Working Papers 35, Ashoka University, Department of Economics.
    9. Roxana Elena Manea; Pedro Naso, 2020. "School Fee Elimination and Educational Inequality in Tanzania," CIES Research Paper series 64-2020, Centre for International Environmental Studies, The Graduate Institute.
    10. Margaret Leighton, 2021. "Mother Tongue Reading Materials as a Bridge to Literacy," Discussion Paper Series, School of Economics and Finance 202101, School of Economics and Finance, University of St Andrews.
    11. Roxana Elena Manea; Pedro Naso, 2021. "Heterogeneous Impacts of School Fee Elimination in Tanzania: Gender and Colonial Infrastructure," CIES Research Paper series 64-2020, Centre for International Environmental Studies, The Graduate Institute.

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    JEL classification:

    • O55 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Africa
    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy

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