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The impact of Chile's school feeding program on education outcomes

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  • McEwan, Patrick J.

Abstract

Chile operates one of the oldest and largest school feeding programs in Latin America, targeting higher-calorie meals to relatively poorer schools. This paper evaluates the impact of higher-calorie meals on the education outcomes of public, rural schools and their students. It applies a regression-discontinuity design to administrative data, including school enrollment and attendance, first-grade enrollment age and grade repetition, and fourth-grade test scores. There is no evidence, across a range of specifications and samples, that additional calories affect these variables. The paper suggests that the focus of Chilean policy should further shift to the nutritional composition of school meals, rather than the caloric content.

Suggested Citation

  • McEwan, Patrick J., 2013. "The impact of Chile's school feeding program on education outcomes," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 122-139.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:32:y:2013:i:c:p:122-139
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2012.08.006
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Roxana Elena Manea, 2021. "School Feeding Programmes, Education and Food Security in Rural Malawi," CIES Research Paper series 63-2020, Centre for International Environmental Studies, The Graduate Institute.
    3. Hochfeld, Tessa & Graham, Lauren & Patel, Leila & Moodley, Jacqueline & Ross, Eleanor, 2016. "Does school breakfast make a difference? An evaluation of an in-school breakfast programme in South Africa," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 1-9.
    4. Paul Gertler & Tadeja Gracner, 2022. "The Sweet Life: The Long-Term Effects of a Sugar-Rich Early Childhood," NBER Working Papers 30799, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Yasemin Kisbu-Sakarya & Thomas D. Cook & Yang Tang & M. H. Clark, 2018. "Comparative Regression Discontinuity: A Stress Test With Small Samples," Evaluation Review, , vol. 42(1), pages 111-143, February.
    6. Figlio, D. & Karbownik, K. & Salvanes, K.G., 2016. "Education Research and Administrative Data," Handbook of the Economics of Education,, Elsevier.
    7. Frisvold, David E., 2015. "Nutrition and cognitive achievement: An evaluation of the School Breakfast Program," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 91-104.
    8. Chakraborty, Tanika & Jayaraman, Rajshri, 2019. "School feeding and learning achievement: Evidence from India's midday meal program," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 249-265.
    9. Oosterbeek, Hessel & van der Klaauw, Bas, 2013. "Ramadan, fasting and educational outcomes," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 219-226.
    10. Qihui Chen & Chunchen Pei & Qiran Zhao, 2018. "Eating More but Not Better at School? Impacts of Boarding on Students’ Dietary Structure and Nutritional Status in Rural Northwestern China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-18, August.
    11. Padilla-Romo, María, 2022. "Full-time schools, policy-induced school switching, and academic performance," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 79-103.
    12. Sofía Collante Zárate & Catherine Rodríguez & Fabio Sanchez, 2022. "El poder de un refrigerio. La alimentación escolar y sus efectos educativos en Colombia," Documentos CEDE 20223, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    13. Amy Ellen Schwartz & Michah W. Rothbart, 2020. "Let Them Eat Lunch: The Impact of Universal Free Meals on Student Performance," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(2), pages 376-410, March.
    14. Roxana Elena Manea, 2020. "School Feeding Programmes, Education and Food Security in Rural Malawi," CIES Research Paper series 63-2020, Centre for International Environmental Studies, The Graduate Institute.
    15. Leos-Urbel, Jacob & Schwartz, Amy Ellen & Weinstein, Meryle & Corcoran, Sean, 2013. "Not just for poor kids: The impact of universal free school breakfast on meal participation and student outcomes," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 88-107.
    16. Fang, Guanfu & Zhu, Ying, 2022. "Long-term impacts of school nutrition: Evidence from China’s school meal reform," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    17. Francesca Marchetta & Tom Dilly, 2019. "Supporting Education in Africa: Opportunities and Challenges for an Impact Investor," Working Papers hal-02288103, HAL.
    18. Collante Zárate, Sofía & Rodríguez Orgales, Catherine & Sanchez Torres, Fabio, 2024. "The power of a meal. School feeding and its educational effects: Evidence from Colombia," Documentos CEDE 21155, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Chile; School feeding programs; Regression-discontinuity; Impact evaluation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs

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