Csae Wps/2004-26
نویسندگان
چکیده
We examine the e ect of shocks to teacher inputs on child performance in school. We start with a household optimization framework where parents spend optimally in response to teacher and other school inputs. This helps to isolate the impact of teachers from other inputs. As a proxy measure for these shocks, we use teacher absenteeism during a 30 day period. Shocks to teacher inputs have a significant impact on learning gains. In a sample of students who remained with the same teacher over the two years for which we have test score data, shocks associated with a typical episode of absence lead to a decline of 20-30 percent in learning gains during the year. The size and precision of these estimates is identical for both Mathematics and English. We document that health problems account for over 60 percent of time spent in absence–this is not surprising in a country deeply a ected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Tackling health problems of teachers and/or reducing the impact of absences by increasing the public provision of teachers (allowing for substitute teachers) is likely to have positive impacts on learning. Corresponding Author: James Habyarimana ([email protected]). We thank workshop participants at Harvard University and the World Bank for useful comments and suggestions. Funding for the survey was provided by DFID. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the World Bank, its Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. 1 JEL codes: I28, 016, H31 CSAE WPS/2004-26
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