Private school vouchers in developing countries: A survey of the evidence

This paper provides a narrative review of the existing rigorous evaluations of private school vouchers in developing countries. The findings suggest that school vouchers can be an effective means of expanding access to education, particularly for underserved populations (e.g., poorer students, girls, and students in undersupplied rural and urban communities). However, there is insufficient empirical evidence to sustain the expectation that universal school voucher policies will substantially raise the performance of an education system by increasing school choice and competition; and, universal vouchers are likely to reinforce socioeconomic stratification. However, as a catalyst for increased school attendance, targeted school vouchers have been effective at improving the performance of students on the margins of participation in the education system; and these outcomes can be achieved at lower costs than in the traditional public school system.