Publication: Conditional Cash Transfers in Education : Design Features, Peer and Sibling Effects Evidence from a Randomized Experiment in Colombia
Date
2008-03
ISSN
Published
2008-03
Author(s)
Barrera-Osorio, Felipe
Bertrand, Marianne
Linden, Leigh L.
Perez-Calle, Francisco
Abstract
This paper presents an evaluation of
multiple variants of a commonly used intervention to boost
education in developing countries - the conditional cash
transfer - with a student level randomization that allows
the authors to generate intra-family and peer-network
variation. The analysis tests three treatments: a basic
conditional cash transfer treatment based on school
attendance, a savings treatment that postpones a bulk of the
cash transfer due to good attendance to just before children
have to re-enroll, and a tertiary treatment where some of
the transfers are conditional on students' graduation
and tertiary enrollment rather than attendance. On average,
the combined incentives increase attendance, pass rates,
enrollment, graduation rates, and matriculation to tertiary
institutions. Changing the timing of the payments does not
change attendance rates relative to the basic treatment but
does significantly increase enrollment rates at both the
secondary and tertiary levels. Incentives for graduation
and matriculation are particularly effective, increasing
attendance and enrollment at secondary and tertiary levels
more than the basic treatment. There is some evidence that
the subsidies can cause a reallocation of responsibilities
within the household. Siblings (particularly sisters) of
treated students work more and attend school less than
students in families that received no treatment. In
addition, indirect peer influences are relatively strong in
attendance decisions with the average magnitude similar to
that of the direct effect.
Citation
“Barrera-Osorio, Felipe; Bertrand, Marianne; Linden, Leigh L.; Perez-Calle, Francisco. 2008. Conditional Cash Transfers in Education : Design Features, Peer and Sibling Effects Evidence from a Randomized Experiment in Colombia. Policy Research Working Paper No. 4580. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/6834320d-229a-5515-9941-4727a9993ad4 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
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