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Secondary School Access Raises Primary School Achievement

Author

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  • Wayne Aaron Sandholtz

Abstract

I use variation in ex-ante school fee payments to measure how Free Secondary Education (FSE) affected primary students in Tanzania. I first confirm FSE increased secondary access: secondary enrollments rose, household spending on secondary school fees plummeted, and elites’ transition premium disappeared. I then show that FSE increased primary exam pass rates by 6% and secondary transition rates by 23%. This was not due to supply inputs: there was no effect on school entry, and class sizes rose. Instead it appears to be driven by demand-side investments: primary students selected into better schools, attended more, and worked less.

Suggested Citation

  • Wayne Aaron Sandholtz, 2024. "Secondary School Access Raises Primary School Achievement," CESifo Working Paper Series 11343, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_11343
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Demirel, Merve & Ghazarian, Avenia, 2026. "Identity and Human Capital Investment: Evidence from Veiling Ban Removal in Turkey," HoSS Working Paper Series 2026-1, Stockholm School of Economics, House of Sustainable Society (HoSS).
    2. Zhao, Liqiu & Luo, Yongming & Li, Li, 2026. "Place-based affirmative action in college admission and educational attainment," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    3. repec:unl:unlfep:wp2506 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. João R. Ferreira & Wayne Aaron Sandholtz, 2024. "Sibling Spillovers and Free Schooling," CESifo Working Paper Series 11436, CESifo.
    5. Leight, Jessica & Gilligan, Daniel O. & Mulford, Michael & Zafar, Sarim, 2026. "The early bird gets the cash: Early notification and conditional cash transfers for secondary school," IFPRI discussion papers 2421, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    6. João R. Ferreira & Wayne Aaron Sandholtz, 2024. "Sibling Spillovers and Free Schooling," CESifo Working Paper Series 11436, CESifo.

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    JEL classification:

    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • H52 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Education
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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