This paper examines the expansion of compulsory schooling in fifteen Western European countries over the period 1950-2000. We show that a convergence process of mandatory years of schooling has occurred across these countries since 1950. We argue that the major driver of this phenomenon is the existence of decreasing aggregate returns to education that have limited the extension of compulsory schooling. Then we test whether convergence still holds when confronted with other explanations described in the literature, which are respectively based on technology and trade, institutions, and the budget constraint of governments. Conditional convergence does hold and we find that openness has been another robust determinant of compulsory years of schooling, reflecting the need of education in an increasingly globalized world.
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Paper provided by Centre for the Economics of Education, LSE in its series CEE Discussion Papers with number
0095.
Find related papers by JEL classification: H4 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education N3 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Income, and Wealth N4 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, and Regulation
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