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The effect on crime of extending the school day in secondary education: Evidence from the Dominican Republic

Author

Listed:
  • Garganta, Santiago
  • López-Marmolejo, Arnoldo
  • Pinto, María Florencia
  • Zentner, Joaquín

Abstract

This paper studies the impact of a school-day extension on crime. Specifically, we analyze the Jornada Escolar Extendida (JEE) program in secondary education in the Dominican Republic, which doubled the length of the school day in public schools, and exploit its staggered rollout across municipalities over time. While we find no overall impact on crime rates, we do identify significant effects on specific subgroups and types of crime. We find a significant reduction in the number of male homicides and those occurring outside school hours. This suggests that the JEE may be reducing severe violent behaviors taking place beyond school time. Additionally, while we find no effect on total car thefts, we find evidence of an increase outside of school hours, suggesting a shift in the timing of this type of crime toward non-school hours.

Suggested Citation

  • Garganta, Santiago & López-Marmolejo, Arnoldo & Pinto, María Florencia & Zentner, Joaquín, 2026. "The effect on crime of extending the school day in secondary education: Evidence from the Dominican Republic," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:injoed:v:124:y:2026:i:c:s0738059326001367
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2026.103626
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    JEL classification:

    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth

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