Does Longer Compulsory Education Equalize Educational Attainment? Evidence From A Major Policy Reform

This study examines the effects of the extension of compulsory schooling from 5 to 8 years in Turkey—which substantially increased the grade completion rates not only during the new compulsory years but also during the high school years—on the equality of educational outcomes between men and women, and urban and rural residents. Longer compulsory schooling decreases the educational gap in basic education for most subgroups—in particular, the gender gap in rural areas, and the urban-rural gap both for men and women diminish following the policy. In fact, the urban-rural gap for women declines by almost 20 percentage points during the new compulsory grades. At the same time, however, longer compulsory schooling increases the gender gap in urban areas in non-compulsory schooling grades.