Do Schools Reinforce or Reduce Learning Gaps between Advantaged and Disadvantaged Students? Evidence from Vietnam and...

Area of Science:

• Education Economics
• Development Studies
• Child Development

Background:

• Educational equity is a global concern, particularly in developing nations.
• Understanding in-school learning disparities for disadvantaged children is crucial for policy interventions.
• Existing research often lacks direct comparisons within the same school environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether disadvantaged children learn less than advantaged children within the same schools in Vietnam and Peru.
• To identify specific factors contributing to potential learning gaps.
• To inform targeted educational policies for vulnerable populations.

Main Methods:

• Estimation of education production functions incorporating school fixed effects for distinct student groups.
• Analysis using multiple definitions of disadvantage: household wealth, early cognitive skills, gender, ethnicity, maternal education, and nutritional status.
• Comparative analysis between Vietnam and Peru.

Main Results:

• In Vietnam, no evidence suggests schools are less effective for disadvantaged groups; males even appear to learn less than females.
• In Peru, ethnic minority students and those entering with lower cognitive skills show reduced learning compared to majority and higher-skilled peers in the same schools.
• The impact of disadvantage on learning varies significantly between the two countries.

Conclusions:

• School effectiveness does not inherently disadvantage all groups in Vietnam.
• In Peru, specific student characteristics (ethnicity, initial cognitive skills) are associated with in-school learning disparities.
• Context matters: educational interventions must be tailored to country-specific challenges and student demographics.