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Can Targeted Allocation of Teachers Improve Student Learning Outcomes? Evidence from Malawi

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  • Asim,Salman
  • Gera,Ravinder Madron Casley
  • Moreno,Juan Martin
  • Wong,Kerry Lai Man

Abstract

Teachers are one of the most important inputs for learning, but in many low-income countries they are poorly distributed between schools. This paper discusses the case of Malawi, which has introduced new evidence-based policies and procedures to improve the equity and efficiency of the allocation of teachers to schools. The analysis finds that adherence to these policies has been highly variable between the country’s districts, with the most successful deploying 75 percent of teachers according to the rules and the least successful just 22 percent. Using administrative data, the paper identifies the impacts on student repetition rates of reductions in pupil–qualified teacher ratios as a result of the new teachers. The findings show that schools that moved from having more than 90 pupils per qualified teacher to a lower ratio experienced reductions in lower primary school repetition rates of 2–3 percentage points. However, similar impacts on dropout are not observed.

Suggested Citation

  • Asim,Salman & Gera,Ravinder Madron Casley & Moreno,Juan Martin & Wong,Kerry Lai Man, 2024. "Can Targeted Allocation of Teachers Improve Student Learning Outcomes? Evidence from Malawi," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10844, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10844
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Chin, Aimee, 2005. "Can redistributing teachers across schools raise educational attainment? Evidence from Operation Blackboard in India," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(2), pages 384-405, December.
    2. Asim, Salman & Chimombo, Joseph & Chugunov, Dmitry & Gera, Ravinder, 2019. "Moving teachers to Malawi’s remote communities: A data-driven approach to teacher deployment," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 26-43.
    3. Pugatch, Todd & Schroeder, Elizabeth, 2014. "Incentives for teacher relocation: Evidence from the Gambian hardship allowance," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 120-136.
    4. Joshua D. Angrist & Victor Lavy, 1999. "Using Maimonides' Rule to Estimate the Effect of Class Size on Scholastic Achievement," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 114(2), pages 533-575.
    5. Caroline M. Hoxby, 2000. "The Effects of Class Size on Student Achievement: New Evidence from Population Variation," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 115(4), pages 1239-1285.
    6. Karthik Muralidharan & Venkatesh Sundararaman, 2013. "Contract Teachers: Experimental Evidence from India," NBER Working Papers 19440, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Aidan Mulkeen, 2010. "Teachers in Anglophone Africa : Issues in Teacher Supply, Training, and Management," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 13545.
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