PMMA-10810 Free Primary Education in Kenya: An Impact Evaluation Using Propensity Score Methods

Abstract

Lack of formal education is a medium through which poverty is passed on from one generation to the next. Missed schooling or poor educational achievement by children from poor parental background can undermine their chance to escape from poverty in the future. Government intervention can lead to enhanced access to education by children from poor households. For sometime, primary education system in Kenya has been characterised by high wastage in form of low enrolment, high dropout, low completion and poor transition rates and grade repetition. This scenario was attributed to high cost of primary education. To reverse these poor trends in educational achievements, the government initiated free primary education programme in January 2003. This paper evaluates the impact of the free primary education programme in Kenya using propensity score methods on panel data. Results indicate that while primary and secondary school enrolment rates have improved, grade progression in primary schools have dwindled. The free primary education programme was found to be progressive, with the relatively poorer households drawing more benefits from the subsidy. Key words: Primary education, Programme evaluation, Propensity score, benefit incidence analysis, Kenya JEL Classifications: I20, I21, I22

Members

Project leader: John Olwande

Project researchers: Esther Mwanzia | Stella Wambugu

Journal publication

No journal publications.

Working Papers

	Title	Modified	Size	Comments	Recommendations
	Free Primary Education in Kenya: An Impact Evaluation Using Propensity Score Methods	2010-03-16	577.17KB	0	0

Policy Briefs

	Title	Modified	Size	Comments	Recommendations
	Free Primary Education in Kenya: An Impact Evaluation Using Propensity Score Methods	2009-08-27	24.82KB	0	0

Final report

	Title	Modified	Size	Comments	Recommendations
		2009-04-21	719KB	2	1

Proposal

	Title	Modified	Size	Comments	Recommendations
		2007-07-25	216 KB	0	0