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The Effect of Civil War on Education, 1980—97

Author

Listed:
  • Brian Lai

    (Department of Political Science, University of Iowa, brian-lai@uiowa.edu)

  • Clayton Thyne

    (Department of Political Science, University of Kentucky)

Abstract

This study examines the negative effects of civil wars and the post-civil war environment on educational expenditures and enrollment. Two causal mechanisms are considered. First, civil wars are likely to destroy a state's system of education through the loss of infrastructure and personnel. Second, a less deleterious cause may be the drawing away of funds for increased military expenditures to fight the civil war. Using UNESCO education data, the authors examine the percent change in educational expenditures and primary, secondary, and tertiary enrollment for all states from 1980 through 1997. The authors use a measure of when a state is in a civil war, a dynamic post-civil war measure, an interaction with military spending, and relevant control variables. The results indicate strong support for the notion that civil war is devastating for a system of education, as both expenditures and enrollment decline during periods of civil war. No support was found for the reallocation of education funds towards military spending during a civil war. These results highlight the importance of addressing the social costs of a civil war. Civil wars do not simply impose social costs because of increased funding to the military; rather, they severely disrupt a state's ability to provide even basic social services.

Suggested Citation

  • Brian Lai & Clayton Thyne, 2007. "The Effect of Civil War on Education, 1980—97," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 44(3), pages 277-292, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:joupea:v:44:y:2007:i:3:p:277-292
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Çağatay Bircan & Tilman Brück & Marc Vothknecht, 2017. "Violent conflict and inequality," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(2), pages 125-144, April.
    2. Marion Mercier & Rama Lionel Ngenzebuke & Philip Verwimp, 2016. "Violence exposure and welfare over time: Evidence from the Burundi civil war," HiCN Working Papers 198 updated, Households in Conflict Network.
    3. Marion Mercier & Rama Lionel Ngenzebuke & Hugues Philip Verwimp, 2017. "Violence exposure and deprivation: Evidence from the Burundi civil war," Working Papers DT/2017/14, DIAL (Développement, Institutions et Mondialisation).
    4. Marie-Pier Joly, 2019. "The Employment and Occupational Status of Migrants from Countries Experiencing Armed Conflict," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 1071-1095, November.
    5. Longfield, David & Tooley, James, 2017. "School choice and parental preferences in a poor area of Monrovia," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 117-127.
    6. Dabalen, Andrew L. & Paul, Saumik, 2012. "Estimating the causal effects of conflict on education in Côte d'Ivoire," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6077, The World Bank.
    7. Guariso Andrea & Verpoorten Marijke, 2019. "Armed Conflict and Schooling in Rwanda: Digging Deeper," Peace Economics, Peace Science, and Public Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 25(1), pages 1-40, February.
    8. Gómez Soler, Silvia C., 2016. "Educational achievement at schools: Assessing the effect of the civil conflict using a pseudo-panel of schools," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 91-106.
    9. Weldeegzie, Samuel G., 2017. "Growing-up Unfortunate: War and Human Capital in Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 474-489.

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