Reducing the Constraints to School Access and Progress: Assessing the Effects of a Scholarship Program In Rural Malawi

Autor/inn/en	Hunsaker, Stephen; Baum, Donald R.; Ducos, Katy
Titel	Reducing the Constraints to School Access and Progress: Assessing the Effects of a Scholarship Program In Rural Malawi
Quelle	In: International Journal of Comparative Education and Development, 24 (2022) 2, S.86-100 (15 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Baum, Donald R.) ORCID (Ducos, Katy)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2396-7404
DOI	10.1108/IJCED-10-2021-0106
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Rural Areas; Access to Education; Barriers; Scholarships; Program Effectiveness; Costs; Proximity; Outcomes of Education; Wages; Graduation Rate; Employment Level; Attendance Patterns; Withdrawal (Education); Malawi + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Rural area; Ländlicher Raum; Education; Access; Bildung; Zugang; Bildungszugang; Scholarship; Stipendium; Cost; Kosten; Lebensnähe; Lernleistung; Schulerfolg; Wage; Löhne; Beschäftigungsgrad; Kursabbruch
Abstract	Purpose: The study aims to provide insight on the potential effectiveness of demand-side financing for catalyzing improved educational outcomes in Malawi; and, given the extent of cost-related constraints to school contexts in other low-income countries, the results have relevance for education policy decisions more broadly. Design/methodology/approach: This study utilizes a non-equivalent groups research design to compare the educational experiences and outcomes of two student groups--those who did and those who did not receive a needs-based scholarship to attend secondary school and college in the Dowa, Kasungu, and Lilongwe Districts of Malawi. The authors assess impacts across a range of short and medium-term outcomes, including: school attendance, withdrawal, attainment, graduation, employment status, employment quality, and post-schooling income. Findings: The scholarship substantially reduces the household cost of participation in school, and reduces the distance travelled to school. As a result, scholarship recipients attain between 1 and 1.5 years of additional schooling and graduate at higher rates. In terms of post-schooling outcomes, recipients are in higher wage-earning occupations after leaving school. Overall, results suggest that scholarships are an effective demand-side strategy for improving educational attainment, progression, and potentially longer-term labor market outcomes. Originality/value: The study adds new evidence on policy approaches for expanding access to educational opportunities and increasing labor market outcomes in a context (Malawi specifically and sub-Saharan Africa more broadly) where evidence on such demand-side interventions is still growing. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01