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Measuring and Analysing Educational Inequality: The Distribution of Grade Enrolment Rates in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa

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  • Frankema, Ewout
  • Bolt, Jutta

    (Groningen University)

Abstract

Cross-country research on educational inequality presents contrasting views on the extent of educational inequality in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. The differences in opinion also concern the relation between educational inequality and income inequality. This paper argues that part of the reported results are influenced by the type of inequality indicator applied. Moreover, there may be a separate effect of educational attainment and educational distribution on income inequality, which cannot be discerned properly by conventional indicators (in particular the Gini-coefficient faces this problem). A new indicator of educational distribution, which we coined the grade enrolment ratio, focuses at the distribution of students among consecutive grades in schooling, apart from average years of schooling (attainment). We find that the grade enrolment ratio outperforms the other indicators in explaining cross-country variation in income inequality and accurately assesses Latin American and Sub-Saharan African educational inequality.

Suggested Citation

  • Frankema, Ewout & Bolt, Jutta, 2006. "Measuring and Analysing Educational Inequality: The Distribution of Grade Enrolment Rates in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa," GGDC Research Memorandum GD-86, Groningen Growth and Development Centre, University of Groningen.
    • Handle: RePEc:gro:rugggd:gd-86
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    File URL: http://irs.ub.rug.nl/ppn/293057524
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    Cited by:

    1. Martins, Lurdes & Veiga, Paula, 2010. "Do inequalities in parents' education play an important role in PISA students' mathematics achievement test score disparities?," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(6), pages 1016-1033, December.
    2. P�ter F�ldv�ri & Bas van Leeuwen, 2011. "Should less inequality in education lead to a more equal income distribution?," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(5), pages 537-554, February.
    3. Banzragch, Otgontugs & Mizunoya, Suguru & Bayarjargal, Munkhireedui, 2019. "Education inequality in Mongolia: Measurement and causes," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 68-79.
    4. Alali, Walid Y., 2011. "Inequality in Education and Income Across Countries," EconStor Preprints 269880, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    5. Blanco, Luisa, 2010. "Life is Unfair in Latin America, But Does it Matter for Growth?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 393-404, March.
    6. Ewout Frankema, 2008. "Comparing the Distribution of Education Across the Developing World, 1960–2005: What Does the Grade Enrollment Distribution Tell about Latin America?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 88(3), pages 437-455, September.
    7. Digdowiseiso, Kumba, 2010. "Measuring gini coefficient of education: the Indonesian cases," MPRA Paper 19865, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Salwa TRABELSI, 2013. "Regional Inequality Of Education In Tunisia: An Evaluation By The Gini Index," Region et Developpement, Region et Developpement, LEAD, Universite du Sud - Toulon Var, vol. 37, pages 95-117.

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