Enrollment without Learning: Teacher Effort, Knowledge, and Skill in Primary Schools in Africa
Journal of Economic Perspectives
vol. 31,
no. 4, Fall 2017
(pp. 185-204)
(Complimentary)
Abstract
School enrollment has universally increased over the last 25 years in low-income countries. Enrolling in school, however, does not assure that children learn. A large share of children in low-income countries complete their primary education lacking even basic reading, writing, and arithmetic skills. Teacher quality is a key determinant of student learning, but not much is known about teacher quality in low-income countries. This paper discusses an ongoing research program intended to help fill this void. We use data collected through direct observations, unannounced visits, and tests from primary schools in seven sub-Saharan African countries to answer three questions: How much do teachers teach? What do teachers know? How well do teachers teach?Citation
Bold, Tessa, Deon Filmer, Gayle Martin, Ezequiel Molina, Brian Stacy, Christophe Rockmore, Jakob Svensson, and Waly Wane. 2017. "Enrollment without Learning: Teacher Effort, Knowledge, and Skill in Primary Schools in Africa." Journal of Economic Perspectives, 31 (4): 185-204. DOI: 10.1257/jep.31.4.185Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- H52 National Government Expenditures and Education
- I21 Analysis of Education
- I24 Education and Inequality
- I28 Education: Government Policy
- J45 Public Sector Labor Markets
- O15 Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
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