Does the Increase in Competition between Schools Improve the Quality of the Service? The Role of Educational Reform in Chile. Issue 8 (3rd August 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cartagena FarÍas, Javiera; McIntosh, Steven
• Is Part Of: Journal of development studies. Volume 55:Issue 8(2019)
• Page Start: 1799
• Page End: 1815
• Publication Date: 2019-08-03
• Subjects: Economic development -- Periodicals; Economic history -- 1945- -- Periodicals; Developing countries -- Economic conditions -- Periodicals; Développement économique -- Périodiques; Histoire économique -- 1945- -- Périodiques; Pays en voie de développement -- Conditions économiques -- Périodiques; 338.91
• DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2018.1502877
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-0388

Abstract

Abstract: We analyse the effect of geographic competition between schools on academic performance in Chile. The analysis controls for prior pupil performance, and a range of school and municipality characteristics. We allow for the endogeneity of voucher school location, using the number of local Catholic churches as an instrument. We find that a larger number of public schools positively affects the quality of education of other schools located in the same area, particularly amongst middle-class families and in middle-ranking schools. However, the number of voucher schools is associated with lower performance in neighbouring schools, which we attribute to pupil sorting.