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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," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 120407, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:120407
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    References listed on IDEAS

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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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