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Free Primary Education, Schooling, and Fertility: Evidence from Ethiopia

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  • Chicoine, Luke

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Abstract

This paper investigates the causal relationship between women's education and fertility by exploiting variation generated by the removal of school fees in Ethiopia. The increase in schooling caused by this reform is identified using both geographic variation in the intensity of the reform's impact and the temporal variation generated by the implementation of the reform. The model finds that the removal of school fees in Ethiopia led to an increase of over 1.5 years of schooling for women affected by the reform. A two-stage least squares approach is used to measure the impact of the exogenous increase in schooling on fertility. Each additional year of schooling led to a reduction in fertility, a delay in sexual activity, marriage, and the timing of at least their first, second, and third births. There is also evidence that the increase in schooling led to improved labor market outcomes, and a reduction in the desired number of children. Additionally, there is evidence of strategic use of hidden forms of contraception, only after family size becomes sufficiently large or after two sons have been born.

Suggested Citation

  • Chicoine, Luke, 2016. "Free Primary Education, Schooling, and Fertility: Evidence from Ethiopia," IZA Discussion Papers 10387, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp10387
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. World Bank, 2005. "Ethiopia : Education in Ethiopia, Strengthening the Foundation for Sustainable Progress," World Bank Publications - Reports 8507, The World Bank Group.
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    Cited by:

    1. Siameh, Celestine O., 2020. "The Impact of Education Reforms on Household Adult Welfare Outcomes in Ethiopia: The 1994 Free Primary Education (FPE) Reform," 2020 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, Kansas City, Missouri 304567, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    2. Stephanie Psaki & Nicole Haberland & Barbara Mensch & Lauren Woyczynski & Erica Chuang, 2022. "Policies and interventions to remove gender‐related barriers to girls' school participation and learning in low‐ and middle‐income countries: A systematic review of the evidence," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 18(1), March.
    3. André, Pierre & Dupraz, Yannick, 2023. "Education and polygamy: Evidence from Cameroon," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    4. Giulia La Mattina & Olga N. Shemyakina, 2017. "Domestic Violence and Childhood Exposure to Armed Conflict: Attitudes and Experiences," HiCN Working Papers 255, Households in Conflict Network.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Ethiopia; free primary education; schooling; fertility;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O55 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Africa
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • I26 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Returns to Education

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