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Institutional Reforms and Educational Attainment in Europe: A Long Run Perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Braga, Michela

    (University of Milan)

  • Checchi, Daniele

    (University of Milan)

  • Meschi, Elena

    (Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia)

Abstract

In this paper we analyse the effects of changes in the institutional design of the educational system on school attainment. In particular, we test whether alternative reforms have increased the average educational attainment of the population and whether various deciles of the education distribution have been differentially affected. We constructed a dataset of relevant reforms occurred at the national level over the last century, and match individual information to the most likely set-up faced when individual educational choices were undertaken. Thus our identification strategy relies on temporal and geographical variations in the institutional arrangements, controlling for time/country fixed effects, as well as for confounding factors. We also explore who are the individual most likely affected by the reforms. We also group different reforms in order to ascertain the prevailing attitudes of policy makers, showing that reforms can belong to either "inclusive" or "selective" in their nature. Finally we correlate these attitudes to political coalitions prevailing in parliament, finding support to the idea that left wing parties support reforms that are inclusive in nature, while right wing parties prefer selective ones.

Suggested Citation

  • Braga, Michela & Checchi, Daniele & Meschi, Elena, 2011. "Institutional Reforms and Educational Attainment in Europe: A Long Run Perspective," IZA Discussion Papers 6190, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
  • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp6190
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Nina Guyon & Eric Maurin & Sandra McNally, 2012. "The Effect of Tracking Students by Ability into Different Schools: A Natural Experiment," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 47(3), pages 684-721.
    2. Jakubowski, Maciej & Patrinos, Harry Anthony & Porta, Emilio Ernesto & Wisniewski, Jerzy, 2010. "The impact of the 1999 education reform in Poland," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5263, The World Bank.
    3. Giorgio Brunello & Margherita Fort & Guglielmo Weber, 2009. "Changes in Compulsory Schooling, Education and the Distribution of Wages in Europe," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 119(536), pages 516-539, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Francesco Andreoli & Arnaud Lefranc, 2013. "Equalization of opportunity: Definitions and implementable conditions," Working Papers 310, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    2. Michela Braga & Daniele Checchi & Elena Meschi, 2011. "GINI DP 22: Institutional Reforms and Educational Attainment in Europe," GINI Discussion Papers 22, AIAS, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies.
    3. Lorenzo Cappellari & Paolo Castelnovo & Daniele Checchi & Marco Leonardi, 2016. "Skilled or educated? Educational reforms, human capital and earnings," DISCE - Working Papers del Dipartimento di Economia e Finanza def053, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Dipartimenti e Istituti di Scienze Economiche (DISCE).
    4. Ralph Hippe & Luisa De Sousa Lobo Borges de Araujo & Patricia Dinis Mota da Costa, 2016. "Equity in Education in Europe," JRC Research Reports JRC104595, Joint Research Centre.
    5. Braga, Michela & Checchi, Daniele & Scervini, Francesco & Garrouste, Christelle, 2020. "Selecting or rewarding teachers? International evidence from primary schools," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    6. Jeroen Lavrijsen & Ides Nicaise, 2016. "Ascription, Achievement, and Perceived Equity of Educational Regimes: An Empirical Investigation," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 5(4), pages 1-18, October.
    7. Giuseppina Malerba & Marta Spreafico, 2013. "Income inequality in the European Union: evidence from a panel analysis," DISCE - Quaderni del Dipartimento di Politica Economica ispe0065, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Dipartimenti e Istituti di Scienze Economiche (DISCE).
    8. Checchi, Daniele & van de Werfhorst, Herman G., 2014. "Educational Policies and Income Inequality," IZA Discussion Papers 8222, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Wise, Ramsey, 2015. "Does market-oriented education systems improve performance or increase inequality: A configurational comparative method for understanding (un)intended educational outcomes," TranState Working Papers 189, University of Bremen, Collaborative Research Center 597: Transformations of the State.
    10. Elena Crivellaro, 2012. "Returns To College Over Time: Trends In Europe In The Last 15 Years. Stuck On The Puzzle," "Marco Fanno" Working Papers 0146, Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche "Marco Fanno".
    11. Rinat Zhanbayev & Muhammad Irfan, 2022. "Industrial-Innovative Paradigm of Social Sustainability: Modeling the Assessment of Demoethical, Demographic, Democratic, and Demoeconomic Factors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-26, June.
    12. Gamze Sart & Yilmaz Bayar & Adrian-Gabriel Corpădean & Marius Dan Gavriletea, 2022. "Impact of ICT and Globalization on Educational Attainment: Evidence from the New EU Member States," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-13, March.
    13. Revilla, Ma. Laarni D., 2014. "Schooling Outcomes in the Philippines, 1988-2008: Impacts of Changes in Household Income and the Implementation of the Free Public Secondary Education Act (RA 6655)," Discussion Papers DP 2014-11, Philippine Institute for Development Studies.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    reform; family background; education; institutions;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education

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