Data and Code for: Upping the Ante: The Equilibrium Effects of Unconditional Grants to Private Schools

Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s) Tahir Andrabi, Pomona College; Jishnu Das, Georgetown University; Asim Khwaja, Harvard University; Selcuk Ozyurt, York University (Canada); Niharika Singh, Harvard University

Version: View help for Version V1

Name	File Type	Size	Last Modified
data			04/09/2020 06:30:PM
do			06/01/2020 03:39:PM
output			04/09/2020 06:34:PM
_README_Grants.pdf	application/pdf	79.8 KB	04/09/2020 02:46:PM

Project Citation:

Andrabi, Tahir , Das, Jishnu, Khwaja, Asim , Ozyurt, Selcuk, and Singh, Niharika. Data and Code for: Upping the Ante: The Equilibrium Effects of Unconditional Grants to Private Schools. Nashville, TN: American Economic Association [publisher], 2020. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2020-09-23. https://doi.org/10.3886/E118805V1

Project Description

Summary:

We assess whether financing can help private schools, which now account for one- third of primary school enrollment in low- and middle-income countries. Our ex- periment allocated unconditional cash grants to either one (L) or all (H) private schools in a village. In both arms, enrollment and revenues increased, leading to above market returns. However, test scores increased only in H schools, accompanied by higher fees, and a greater focus on teachers. We provide a model demonstrating that market forces can provide endogenous incentives to increase quality and increased financial saturation can be used to leverage competition, generating socially desirable outcomes.

Scope of Project

Subject Terms: Private schools; Financial innovation; Educational Achievement; Education Markets; Return to Capital; SMEs

JEL Classification:
      I25 Education and Economic Development
      I28 Education: Government Policy
      L22 Firm Organization and Market Structure
      L26 Entrepreneurship
      O16 Economic Development: Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance

Geographic Coverage: Pakistan

Time Period(s): 7/2012 – 11/2014

Collection Date(s): 7/2012 – 11/2014

Universe: The main sample is private schools in Punjab, Pakistan, that consented to participate in the study in 2012. We further obtain information on school owners, teachers, and children at these private schools.

Data Type(s): experimental data; survey data

Methodology

Data Source: Original surveys conducted by the authors.

Unit(s) of Observation: Schools

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Published Versions

V1 [2020-09-23]

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DDI 2.5

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