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Preprimary education and early childhood development: Evidence from government schools in rural Kenya

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  • Jakiela, Pamela
  • Ozier, Owen
  • Fernald, Lia C.H.
  • Knauer, Heather A.

Abstract

We provide evidence on the link between enrollment in public preschool and child vocabulary, a critical precursor to early literacy. We measure early childhood development among both in-school and out-of-school children in Kenya, allowing us to examine the association between preschool enrollment and cognitive outcomes. Children in our sample are more likely to start school at age three rather than age four if they live within a few hundred meters of the nearest primary school. Three-year-olds living closer to the school also have stronger vocabulary skills, though a similar pattern does not exist among older children. Using proximity to school as an instrument for preprimary enrollment, we find that preprimary enrollment raises mother tongue receptive vocabulary by more than one standard deviation at age three, but does not impact vocabulary at later ages.

Suggested Citation

  • Jakiela, Pamela & Ozier, Owen & Fernald, Lia C.H. & Knauer, Heather A., 2024. "Preprimary education and early childhood development: Evidence from government schools in rural Kenya," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:deveco:v:171:y:2024:i:c:s0304387824000865
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2024.103337
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Preschool; Early childhood; Preprimary education; Human capital; School readiness; Early literacy; Mother tongue instruction; Instrumental variables;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • H52 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Education

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