IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/injoed/v48y2016icp23-36.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The effectiveness of foreign aid to education

Author

Listed:
  • Riddell, Abby
  • Niño-Zarazúa, Miguel

Abstract

This article reviews what has been learned over many decades of foreign aid to education and discusses what works and what does not work. It shows the positive contribution that aid has made to education in aid-recipient countries, the most tangible outcome of which is the contribution that aid makes to expanding enrolments especially of basic education. But the article also indicates that there is a considerable gap between what aid does and what it could potentially achieve, especially in relation to its contribution to improvements in educational quality. It shows the distortions caused by focusing on enrolments and insufficiently on quality. Sustainable education outcomes will not be achieved merely by reproducing yet more successful, but individual projects. Perversely, development agencies which focus only on demonstrable short-term impact may well be contributing, unwittingly, to an undermining of long-term impact on the education systems and their deepening development, to whose progress they are trying to contribute.

Suggested Citation

  • Riddell, Abby & Niño-Zarazúa, Miguel, 2016. "The effectiveness of foreign aid to education," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 23-36.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:injoed:v:48:y:2016:i:c:p:23-36
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2015.11.013
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S073805931530016X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2015.11.013?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tony Addison & Miguel Niño‐Zarazúa & Finn Tarp, 2015. "Aid, Social Policy and Development," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(8), pages 1351-1365, November.
    2. David Booth, 2011. "Aid, Institutions and Governance: What Have We Learned?," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 29, pages 5-26, January.
    3. Masino, Serena & Niño-Zarazúa, Miguel, 2016. "What works to improve the quality of student learning in developing countries?," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 53-65.
    4. Merilee S. Grindle, 2010. "Social Policy in Development: Coherence and Cooperation in the Real World," Working Papers 98, United Nations, Department of Economics and Social Affairs.
    5. Birchler, Kassandra & Michaelowa, Katharina, 2016. "Making aid work for education in developing countries: An analysis of aid effectiveness for primary education coverage and quality," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 37-52.
    6. Tony Addison & Miguel Niño‐Zarazúa & Finn Tarp, 2015. "Aid, Social Policy and Development," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(8), pages 1351-1365, November.
    7. Menno Pradhan & Daniel Suryadarma & Amanda Beatty & Maisy Wong & Arya Gaduh & Armida Alisjahbana & Rima Prama Artha, 2014. "Improving Educational Quality through Enhancing Community Participation: Results from a Randomized Field Experiment in Indonesia," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 6(2), pages 105-126, April.
    8. Glewwe, Paul & Kremer, Michael, 2006. "Schools, Teachers, and Education Outcomes in Developing Countries," Handbook of the Economics of Education, in: Erik Hanushek & F. Welch (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Education, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 16, pages 945-1017, Elsevier.
    9. Edward Miguel & Michael Kremer, 2004. "Worms: Identifying Impacts on Education and Health in the Presence of Treatment Externalities," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 72(1), pages 159-217, January.
    10. Charles Kenny, 2010. "Learning about Schools in Development - Working Paper 236," Working Papers 236, Center for Global Development.
    11. Ferreira, Francisco H. G. & Filmer, Deon & Schady, Norbert, 2009. "Own and sibling effects of conditional cash transfer programs : theory and evidence from Cambodia," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5001, The World Bank.
    12. Merilee S. Grindle, 2010. "Social Policy in Development: Coherence and Cooperation in the Real World," CID Working Papers 203, Center for International Development at Harvard University.
    13. Axel Dreher & Peter Nunnenkamp & Rainer Thiele, 2008. "Does Aid for Education Educate Children? Evidence from Panel Data," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 22(2), pages 291-314, April.
    14. Barbara Bruns & Deon Filmer & Harry Anthony Patrinos, 2011. "Making Schools Work : New Evidence on Accountability Reforms," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 2270, December.
    15. Barrera-Osorio, Felipe & Bertrand, Marianne & L. Linden, Leigh & Perez-Calle, Francisco, 2008. "Conditional cash transfers in education : design features, peer and sibling effects evidence from a randomized experiment in Colombia," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4580, The World Bank.
    16. Grindle, Merilee Serrill, 2010. "Social Policy in Development: Coherence and Cooperation in the Real World," Scholarly Articles 4448887, Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
    17. Esther Duflo & Rema Hanna & Stephen P. Ryan, 2012. "Incentives Work: Getting Teachers to Come to School," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 102(4), pages 1241-1278, June.
    18. Ariel Fiszbein & Norbert Schady & Francisco H.G. Ferreira & Margaret Grosh & Niall Keleher & Pedro Olinto & Emmanuel Skoufias, 2009. "Conditional Cash Transfers : Reducing Present and Future Poverty," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 2597, December.
    19. Grindle, Merilee, 2010. "Social Policy in Development: Coherence and Cooperation in the Real World," Working Paper Series rwp10-024, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government.
    20. Operations Evaluation Department, 2005. "Capacity Building in Africa : An OED Evaluation of World Bank Support," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 7468, December.
    21. Karthik Muralidharan & Venkatesh Sundararaman, 2011. "Teacher Performance Pay: Experimental Evidence from India," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 119(1), pages 39-77.
    22. Oecd, 2006. "The Challenge of Capacity Development: Working towards Good Practice," OECD Papers, OECD Publishing, vol. 6(1), pages 1-37.
    23. Charles Kenny, 2010. "Learning about Schools in Development," Working Papers id:3386, eSocialSciences.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Ferry, Marin & de Talancé, Marine & Niño-Zarazúa, Miguel, 2022. "Less debt, more schooling? Evidence from cross-country micro data," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 153-173.
    2. Miguel Niño-Zarazúa, 2015. "Aid, education policy, and development," WIDER Working Paper Series 135, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    3. Munyanyi, Musharavati Ephraim & Awaworyi Churchill, Sefa, 2022. "Foreign aid and energy poverty: Sub-national evidence from Senegal," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    4. Umut Türk & John Östh & Marina Toger & Karima Kourtit, 2021. "Using Individualised HDI Measures for Predicting Educational Performance of Young Students—A Swedish Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-13, May.
    5. Wenske, Ruth S. & Ssentanda, Medadi E., 2021. "“I think it was a trick to fail Eastern”: A multi-level analysis of teachers’ views on the implementation of the SHRP Program in Uganda," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    6. Brice Kamguia & Sosson Tadadjeu & Clovis Miamo & Henri Njangang, 2022. "Does foreign aid impede economic complexity in developing countries?," International Economics, CEPII research center, issue 169, pages 71-88.
    7. Martorano, Bruno & Metzger, Laura & Sanfilippo, Marco, 2020. "Chinese development assistance and household welfare in Sub-Saharan Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    8. Kar, Ashim Kumar, 2016. "Aid and Human Development: Is There A Role for Good Policy Environment?," MPRA Paper 95433, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2018.
    9. Shields, Robin & Menashy, Francine, 2019. "The network of bilateral aid to education 2005–2015," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 74-80.
    10. Fahmida Khatun & Syed Yusuf Saadat & Md. Kamruzzaman, 2019. "FINANCE FOR SDGs: Addressing Governance Challenge of Aid Utilisation in Bangladesh," CPD Working Paper 125, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Abby Rubin Riddell, 2012. "The Effectiveness of Foreign Aid to Education: What Can Be Learned?," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2012-075, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    2. Riddell, Abby Rubin, 2012. "The Effectiveness of Foreign Aid to Education: What Can Be Learned?," WIDER Working Paper Series 075, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    3. repec:unu:wpaper:wp2012-75 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Lant Pritchett & Michael Woolcock & Matt Andrews, 2013. "Looking Like a State: Techniques of Persistent Failure in State Capability for Implementation," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(1), pages 1-18, January.
    5. Lant Pritchett & Michael Woolcock & Matt Andrews, 2013. "Looking Like a State: Techniques of Persistent Failure in State Capability for Implementation," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(1), pages 1-18, January.
    6. repec:unu:wpaper:wp2012-63 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Miguel Niño-Zarazúa, 2015. "Aid, education policy, and development," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2015-135, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    8. Miguel Urquiola, 2015. "Progress and challenges in achieving an evidence-based education policy in Latin America and the Caribbean," Latin American Economic Review, Springer;Centro de Investigaciòn y Docencia Económica (CIDE), vol. 24(1), pages 1-30, December.
    9. Benjamin A. Olken, 2020. "Banerjee, Duflo, Kremer, and the Rise of Modern Development Economics," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 122(3), pages 853-878, July.
    10. Miguel Niño-Zarazúa, 2015. "Aid, education policy, and development," WIDER Working Paper Series 135, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    11. Baylis, Kathy & Ham, Andres, 2015. "How important is spatial correlation in randomized controlled trials?," 2015 AAEA & WAEA Joint Annual Meeting, July 26-28, San Francisco, California 205586, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    12. Bénédicte de la Brière & Deon Filmer & Dena Ringold & Dominic Rohner & Karelle Samuda & Anastasiya Denisova, 2017. "From Mines and Wells to Well-Built Minds," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 26490, December.
    13. Jacobus de Hoop & Jed Friedman & Eeshani Kandpal & Furio C. Rosati, 2019. "Child Schooling and Child Work in the Presence of a Partial Education Subsidy," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 54(2), pages 503-531.
    14. Jörg Peters & Jörg Langbein & Gareth Roberts, 2018. "Generalization in the Tropics – Development Policy, Randomized Controlled Trials, and External Validity," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 33(1), pages 34-64.
    15. Rafael Perez Ribas & Fabio Veras Soares & Clarissa Gondim Teixeira & Elydia Silva & Guilherme Issamu Hirata, 2010. "Beyond Cash: Assessing Externality and Behaviour Effects of Non-Experimental Cash Transfers," Working Papers 65, International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth.
    16. Bold, Tessa & Kimenyi, Mwangi & Mwabu, Germano & Ng’ang’a, Alice & Sandefur, Justin, 2018. "Experimental evidence on scaling up education reforms in Kenya," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 1-20.
    17. Peters, Jörg & Langbein, Jörg & Roberts, Gareth, 2016. "Policy evaluation, randomized controlled trials, and external validity—A systematic review," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 51-54.
    18. Javier E. Báez & Adriana Camacho, 2011. "Assessing the Long-term Effects of Conditional Cash Transfers on Human Capital: Evidence from Colombia," Documentos CEDE 8900, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    19. Gaduh,Arya Budhiastra & Pradhan,Menno Prasad & Priebe,Jan & Susanti,Dewi, 2021. "Scores, Camera, Action : Social Accountability and Teacher Incentives in Remote Areas," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9748, The World Bank.
    20. Matteo Bobba & Jérémie Gignoux, 2014. "Neighborhood effects and take-up of transfers in integrated social policies: Evidence from Progresa," PSE Working Papers halshs-00646590, HAL.
    21. Richard Akresh & Damien de Walque & Harounan Kazianga, 2013. "Cash Transfers and Child Schooling: Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation of the Role of Conditionality," Economics Working Paper Series 1301, Oklahoma State University, Department of Economics and Legal Studies in Business.
    22. Gundersen, Sara & McKay, Michael, 2019. "Reward or punishment? An examination of the relationship between teacher and parent behavior and test scores in the Gambia," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 20-34.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:injoed:v:48:y:2016:i:c:p:23-36. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/international-journal-of-educational-development .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.