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Equal Access to Education: An Evaluation of the Roma Teaching Assistant Programme in Serbia

Author

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  • Marianna BATTAGLIA

    (UNIVERSITY OF ALICANTE, Departamento de Fundamentos del Análisis Económico)

  • Lara LEBEDINSKI

    (UNIVERSITE CATHOLIQUE DE LOUVAIN, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES))

Abstract

This paper investigates the effects of a remedial education programme –the Roma Teaching Assistant Programme – targeting the socially excluded and marginalized Roma ethnic minority in Serbia. By using first-hand collected data, we find evidence that children exposed to the programme went more to school. We do not find an effect on dropouts or marks for all grades. An examination of heterogenous effects suggest that children in the first grade benefitted more from the programme as compared to their older peers through lower dropouts and better grades. Overall, our results suggest that well-targeted remedial education programmes can be successful in boosting outcomes of low performers.

Suggested Citation

  • Marianna BATTAGLIA & Lara LEBEDINSKI, 2014. "Equal Access to Education: An Evaluation of the Roma Teaching Assistant Programme in Serbia," LIDAM Discussion Papers IRES 2014021, Université catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES).
    • Handle: RePEc:ctl:louvir:2014021
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    Cited by:

    1. Battaglia, Marianna & Chabé-Ferret, Bastien & Lebedinski, Lara, 2017. "Segregation and Fertility: The Case of the Roma in Serbia," IZA Discussion Papers 10929, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Ignacio García-Pérez, J. & Hidalgo-Hidalgo, Marisa, 2017. "No student left behind? Evidence from the Programme for School Guidance in Spain," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 97-111.
    3. Marianna Battaglia & Marisa Hidalgo-Hidalgo, 2020. "Non-Cognitive Skills and Remedial Education: Good News for Girls," Working Papers 20.10, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Department of Economics.
    4. Bindeswar Prasad Lekhak, 2023. "Foreign Aid Effectiveness in the Education Sector: A Dynamic Panel Analysis," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 15(9), pages 1-10, September.
    5. Marianna BATTAGLIA & Bastien CHABÉ-FERRET & Lara LEBEDINSKI, 2021. "Segregation, fertility, and son preference: the case of the Roma in Serbia," JODE - Journal of Demographic Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 87(2), pages 233-260, June.
    6. World Bank, 2020. "Serbia’s New Growth Agenda," World Bank Publications - Reports 33566, The World Bank Group.
    7. Marianna Battaglia & Lara Lebedinski, 2014. "The Curse of Low Aspirations: Remedial Education and Perceived Returns to Education of Roma People," Working Papers. Serie AD 2014-04, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Económicas, S.A. (Ivie).
    8. Burchardt, Tania & Obolenskaya, Polina & Vizard, Polly & Battaglini, Mario, 2018. "Experience of multiple disadvantage among Roma, Gypsy and Traveller children in England and Wales," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 103529, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    9. Rauh, Christopher, 2018. "Decomposing Gaps Between Roma And Non-Roma In Romania," Journal of Demographic Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 84(2), pages 209-229, June.
    10. Mario Battaglini & Tania Burchardt & Polina Obolenskaya & Polly Vizard, 2018. "Experience of multiple disadvantage among Roma, Gypsy and Traveller children in England and Wales," CASE Papers /208, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, LSE.
    11. Battaglia, Marianna & Lebedinski, Lara, 2022. "With a little help from my friends: Medium-Term effects of a remedial education program targeting Roma minority," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    12. Norma Salgado-Orellana & Emilio Berrocal de Luna & Christian Alexis Sánchez-Núñez, 2019. "Intercultural Education for Sustainability in the Educational Interventions Targeting the Roma Student: A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-20, June.
    13. Marianna Battaglia & Lara Lebedinski, 2017. "The curse of low expectations," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 25(4), pages 681-721, October.
    14. Li, Haizheng & Liu, Zhiqiang & Yang, Fanzheng & Yu, Li, 2023. "The Impact of Computer-Assisted Instruction on Student Performance: Evidence from the Dual-Teacher Program," IZA Discussion Papers 15944, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    primary education; remedial education; Roma; ethnic minority; absences; dropouts;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • D04 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Microeconomic Policy: Formulation; Implementation; Evaluation

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