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Teachers, electoral cycles and learning in India
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-09, 14:16 authored by Sonja FagernasSonja Fagernas, Panu PelkonenPanu PelkonenTeachers are central for learning, but their hiring and management can be influenced by political factors, especially when they are civil servants. Using an administrative school-level panel data set for India, we find significant increases in teacher transfers and moderate increases in hiring after state elections. The timing of these elections is pre-determined and staggered across states. The reorganization of teachers is partly related to political turnover. Pupils’ test scores are also up to 0.15 standard deviations lower in the post-election phase. Following a range of estimations for alternative explanations, we conclude that the reorganization of teachers can disrupt learning.
Funding
Teacher Contracts and the Spatial Inequality of Primary Schooling in India; G0356; BRITISH ACADEMY; SG111081
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Accepted version
Journal
Journal of Human ResourcesISSN
0022-166XPublisher
University of Wisconsin PressExternal DOI
Issue
2Volume
55Page range
699-732Department affiliated with
- Economics Publications
Full text available
- No
Peer reviewed?
- Yes