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Preschool Attendance, School Progression, and Cognitive Skills in East Africa

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  • Bietenbeck, Jan

    (Lund University)

  • Ericsson, Sanna

    (Lund University)

  • Wamalwa, Fredrick M.

    (University of Cape Town)

Abstract

We study the effects of preschool attendance on children's school progression and cognitive skills in Kenya and Tanzania. Our analysis uses novel data from large-scale household surveys of children's literacy and numeracy skills, which also collect retrospective information on preschool attendance. Against the backdrop of a large expansion of pre-primary education, our regressions identify the impacts from within-household differences, controlling for a variety of child-specific covariates. In both countries, children who go to preschool tend to enroll in primary school late, and thus fall behind in terms of grades completed at early ages. However, once in school, they progress through grades faster and at ages 13-16 have completed about one and a half more months of schooling than their same-aged peers who did not attend preschool. They also score around 0.10 standard deviations higher on standardized cognitive tests, showing that there are important longer-term benefits from preschool in Kenya and Tanzania.

Suggested Citation

  • Bietenbeck, Jan & Ericsson, Sanna & Wamalwa, Fredrick M., 2017. "Preschool Attendance, School Progression, and Cognitive Skills in East Africa," IZA Discussion Papers 11212, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp11212
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    1. Norbert Schady & Jere Behrman & Maria Caridad Araujo & Rodrigo Azuero & Raquel Bernal & David Bravo & Florencia Lopez-Boo & Karen Macours & Daniela Marshall & Christina Paxson & Renos Vakis, 2015. "Wealth Gradients in Early Childhood Cognitive Development in Five Latin American Countries," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 50(2), pages 446-463.
    2. Manisha Shah & Bryce Millett Steinberg, 2017. "Drought of Opportunities: Contemporaneous and Long-Term Impacts of Rainfall Shocks on Human Capital," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 125(2), pages 527-561.
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    1. Bietenbeck, Jan & Ericsson, Sanna & Wamalwa, Fredrick M., 2019. "Preschool attendance, schooling, and cognitive skills in East Africa," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    2. Jens Dietrichson & Ida Lykke Kristiansen & Bjørn A. Viinholt, 2020. "Universal Preschool Programs And Long‐Term Child Outcomes: A Systematic Review," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(5), pages 1007-1043, December.
    3. Kim, Janice H., 2022. "Preschool participation and students’ learning outcomes in primary school: Evidence from national reform of pre-primary education in Ethiopia," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    4. Francesca Marchetta & Tom Dilly, 2019. "Supporting Education in Africa: Opportunities and Challenges for an Impact Investor," Working Papers hal-02288103, HAL.
    5. Bai, Yunli & Guo, Yuhe & Li, Shaoping & Liu, Chengfang & Zhang, Linxiu, 2021. "The Long-Term Benefits of Preschool Education: Evidence from Rural China," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315364, International Association of Agricultural Economists.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Sub-Saharan Africa; preschool; education; cognitive skills;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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