C. Journal articles published externally

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Who Benefits from Higher Education in Low- and Middle-Income Countries?

(Taylor and Francis, 2019) Shafiq, M. Najeeb ; Toutkoushian, Robert K. ; Valerio, Alexandria

In this article, we investigate how higher education contributes to the employment and earnings of individuals in labor markets, and whether social origins play a role in the financial benefits from higher education. We focus on these questions in nine low- and middle-income countries: Armenia, Bolivia, Colombia, Georgia, Ghana, Kenya, Laos, Macedonia, and Vietnam. We use the recent Skills Towards Employability and Productivity (STEP) surveys of urban labor force participants to examine individuals’ educational attainment, labor market participation, and earnings. Using logistic regressions, we find that individuals from disadvantaged origins are less likely to obtain a higher education degree. We find that in most of these countries, individuals who have earned a higher education degree are significantly more likely to be in the labor force and find employment, and enjoy sizable earnings premia. The findings are fairly robust with regard to the samples of individuals examined, and the methods used to measure earnings premia. Finally, we find little evidence that the earnings premia from higher education vary by social origins or the likelihood of an individual completing a degree. These results suggest that the benefits from higher education are comparable for individuals from disadvantaged and advantaged social origins.
Customary Norms, Inheritance, and Human Capital: Evidence from a Reform of the Matrilineal System in Ghana

(American Economic Association, 2017-10) La Ferrera, Eliana ; Milazzo, Annamaria

We study the role of traditional norms in land allocation and human capital investment. We exploit a policy experiment in Ghana that increased the land that children from matrilineal groups could inherit from their fathers. Boys exposed to the reform received 0.9 less years of education—an effect driven by landed households, for whom the reform was binding. We find no effect for girls, whose inheritance was de facto unaffected. These patterns suggest that before the reform matrilineal groups invested more in education than they would if unconstrained, to substitute for land inheritance, underscoring the importance of cultural norms.
Public, Private, and Faith-Inspired Schools in Ghana : A Comparative Assessment

(Taylor and Francis, 2014-06-10) Adoho, Franck ; Tsimpo, Clarence ; Wodon, Quentin

There is no doubt that the contribution of private schools, both faith-inspired and secular, is significant in Africa: private schools fill a gap left by insufficient public education and they provide choice to households. Yet detailed evidence on their market share and characteristics is often not available. How large is the market share of private secular and faith-inspired schools (FISs) in Africa in comparison to public schools? Is it correct to assume that while private secular schools are often affordable only for wealthier families, FISs do reach the poor and provide services at low cost to households? Is it also correct to assume that the education provided by private schools, whether faith-inspired or secular, is on average of better quality than that provided by public schools, or at least that the satisfaction of parents with the schooling provided to their children is higher in private schools than in public schools? The purpose of this article is to consider these questions through a case study of Ghana.
What Drives the Choice of Faith-Inspired Schools by Households? Qualitative Evidence

(Taylor and Francis, 2014-06-10) Gemignani, Regina ; Shojo, Mari ; Wodon, Quentin

Why do some parents send their children to faith-inspired schools (FISs), while others choose to rely on public schools? Within FISs, are the motivations to send a child to a Christian school different from those to send a child to an Islamic school? How well are FISs performing—along various dimensions—according to the students’ parents? This article provides tentative answers to those questions using qualitative and small sample data collected in 2010 in Burkina Faso and Ghana.
Faith-Inspired Education in Ghana : A Historical Case Example

(Taylor and Francis, 2014-06-10) Olivier, Jill ; Wodon, Quentin

In order to understand the current role of faith-inspired schools (FISs) in Africa and some of the debates about the magnitude of the services they provide, it is useful to consider their presence in a historical perspective. Faith-inspired schools have a long and distinguished tradition in sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of this article is to sketch that history using the case of Ghana, a country where FISs date back to early Islamic schools and, as of the 16th century, to Christian missionary activities.