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The efficiency of public education spending in Latin America: A comparison to high-income countries

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  • Azar Dufrechou, Paola

Abstract

This study analyzes the efficiency of public education spending and the role of possible conditioning factors in upper-middle income Latin American countries compared to high-income economies over 1970–2010. It applies a two-stage approach first obtaining country-efficiency scores through a Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and then identifying their possible determinants by means of panel bootstrapped truncated regressions. Results show a minor role of inefficiency since 1990 and different efficiency profiles depending on the country’s education outlays. Besides, globalization and democracy show up as important conditions affecting the efficiency path of the Latin American sub-sample.

Suggested Citation

  • Azar Dufrechou, Paola, 2016. "The efficiency of public education spending in Latin America: A comparison to high-income countries," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 188-203.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:injoed:v:49:y:2016:i:c:p:188-203
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2016.03.005
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    2. Cordero, Jose M. & Polo, Cristina & Santín, Daniel & Simancas, Rosa, 2018. "Efficiency measurement and cross-country differences among schools: A robust conditional nonparametric analysis," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 45-60.
    3. Agasisti, Tommaso & de Oliveira Ribeiro, Celma & Montemor, Daniel Sanches, 2022. "The efficiency of Brazilian elementary public schools," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    4. Moncayo–Martínez, Luis A. & Ramírez–Nafarrate, Adrián & Hernández–Balderrama, María Guadalupe, 2020. "Evaluation of public HEI on teaching, research, and knowledge dissemination by Data Envelopment Analysis," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    5. Tao Tang & Lizeth Cuesta & Brayan Tillaguango & Rafael Alvarado & Abdul Rehman & Diana Bravo-Benavides & Natalia Zárate, 2022. "Causal Link between Technological Innovation and Inequality Moderated by Public Spending, Manufacturing, Agricultural Employment, and Export Diversification," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-25, July.
    6. Ben Yahia, Fatma & Essid, Hédi & Rebai, Sonia, 2018. "Do dropout and environmental factors matter? A directional distance function assessment of tunisian education efficiency," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 120-127.
    7. Muchen Luo & Yimin Wu, 2022. "Data-Driven Evaluation and Optimisation of Livelihood Improvement Efficiency," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-24, July.
    8. Yeycol Leiva & Gabriel Pino, 2020. "Analysis of the impact of school performance on income inequality in the long run: An application to Chilean municipalities," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(3), pages 1045-1080, September.
    9. Ahec Šonje, Amina & Deskar-Škrbić, Milan & Šonje, Velimir, 2018. "Efficiency of public expenditure on education: comparing Croatia with other NMS," MPRA Paper 85152, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 10 Feb 2018.
    10. Cordero, Jose Manuel & Polo, Cristina & Simancas, Rosa, 2022. "Assessing the efficiency of secondary schools: Evidence from OECD countries participating in PISA 2015," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Public education; Spending efficiency; Comparative analysis; DEA;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C14 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods: General
    • H52 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Education
    • I22 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Educational Finance; Financial Aid
    • N36 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Latin America; Caribbean

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