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Are public libraries improving quality of education ? when the provision of public goods is not enough

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  • Rodriguez Lesmes,Paul Andres
  • Trujillo,Jose Daniel
  • Valderrama Gonzalez,Daniel

Abstract

This paper analyzes the relation between public, education-related infrastructure and the quality of education in schools. The analysis uses a case study of the establishment of two large, high-quality public libraries in low-income areas in Bogotá, Colombia. It assesses the impact of these libraries on the quality of education by comparing national test scores (SABER 11) for schools close to and far from the libraries before (2000?02) and after (2003?08) the libraries were opened. The paper introduces a Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition on di?erence-in-di?erences estimates to assess whether variation of traditional determinants of mathematics, verbal, and science test scores explains the estimates. The analysis ?nds differences that are not statistically di?erent from zero that could be attributed to the establishment of the libraries. These results are robust to alternative speci?cations, a synthetic control approach, and an alternative measure of distance.

Suggested Citation

  • Rodriguez Lesmes,Paul Andres & Trujillo,Jose Daniel & Valderrama Gonzalez,Daniel, 2015. "Are public libraries improving quality of education ? when the provision of public goods is not enough," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7429, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:7429
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    Cited by:

    1. Kai Barron & Luis F. Gamboa & Paul Rodríguez-Lesmes, 2019. "Behavioural Response to a Sudden Health Risk: Dengue and Educational Outcomes in Colombia," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(4), pages 620-644, April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Education For All; Secondary Education; Tertiary Education; Effective Schools and Teachers; Primary Education;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D62 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Externalities
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • H52 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Education

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