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Long-lasting effects of indoctrination in school: Evidence from the People’s Republic of Poland

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  • Costa-Font, Joan
  • García-Hombrados, Jorge
  • Nicińska, Anna

Abstract

This paper studies the effect of communist indoctrination in school on labour force participation and human capital investments. Specifically, we evaluate the impact of a reform in Poland that revoked political indoctrination in school in the mid-1950s, while leaving the rest of the curriculum unchanged. To overcome endogeneity concerns, we exploit cut-off birth dates for school enrolment that exhibit variation in the level of exposure to the reform. We find that a reduction in school indoctrination increased the probability of finishing secondary and tertiary education, and expanded labour force participation about 50 years down the line.

Suggested Citation

  • Costa-Font, Joan & García-Hombrados, Jorge & Nicińska, Anna, 2024. "Long-lasting effects of indoctrination in school: Evidence from the People’s Republic of Poland," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eecrev:v:161:y:2024:i:c:s0014292123002696
    DOI: 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2023.104641
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Education systems; Communist education; Education reforms; School curriculum; Later life outcomes; Human capital attainment; Labour market participation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy

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