Evaluating Public Per-Student Subsidies to Low-Cost Private Schools Regression-Discontinuity Evidence from Pakistan
Abstract
The impact of public private partnership on school enrollment and school input based on evidence generated by Regression Discontinuity.
The paper aims to establish casual link between Foundation Assisted Schools (FAS) public subsidy program essentially targeted at low cost private schools and enrollment and schooling inputs such as number of teachers, classrooms, blackboards, toilets, and teacher to student ratio within Punjab, Pakistan. FAS program initiated by Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) in 2005 has completed four phases of expansion whereby entry into the program is granted to schools that are able to demonstrate a minimum student pass rate in the entry screening test. Regression-discontinuity (RD) methodology is applied on research based on primary and secondary methods such as telephone interviews and program administrative reports and impact of the subsidy is ascertained at various cut off levels. The study revolves around two entry test points within the FAS program namely phase 3 and 4 that involve clearing the Short Listing Quality Assurance Test (SLQAT) and results from RD application reveal that phase 3 entry process fails to impact school enrollment and school inputs as opposed to phase 4 that significantly impacts defined areas of interest. Phase 4 SLQAT results in measurable positive impact on school enrollment rates and other inputs such as blackboard, classroom and teachers varying from 27%-47% increase in individual variables. The authors thus conclude that FAS program is one of the most cost effective interventions by government that can bring about the desired increase in enrollment rate.
Publishing Year: 2011
Attached File:
WPS5638.pdf - Download