Seminars 2007 — Abstracts
Friday, August 31
Speaker:
Brett Inder,
Monash
Title:
Modelling Educational Outcomes in Developing Countries
Abstract: This talk will summarise some current research into education in developing countries. We will look at an overview of the state of play generally, then look at specific econometric analysis of the demand for education and educational outcomes in South Africa, and some related research. Our focus is on factors affecting schooling decisions at the household level. Estimation results reveal the importance of a range of household characteristics. Specifically, we find strong evidence of a sibling synergy effect, where the presence of other school-age children in a household makes it more likely that a child will attend school. The adult composition of a household also plays an important role, as does religionus and ethnic background. Programmes designed to improve educational outcomes will need to take consideration these household complexities if they are to maximise their effectiveness.
