Chris Sakellariou

Quality of Schooling and Quality of Schools for Indigenous Students in Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru

A substantial gap in test scores exists between indigenous and non-indigenous students in Latin America. Using test score data for 3rd and 4th year primary school pupils in Guatemala and Peru, and 5th grade pupils in Mexico, the authors assess the magnitude of the indigenous and non-indigenous test score gap and identify the main family and school inputs contributing to the gap. A decomposition of the gap into its constituent components suggests that the proportion that is explained by family and school characteristics is between 41 and 75 percent of the overall test-score gap. Furthermore, family variables contribute more than school variables to the overall explained component.

North American Indians in the Canadian labour market: A decomposition of wage differentials

Abstract In this paper we empirically determine the components of the gross wage differential that can be explained by productivity-enhancing attributes and that which is due to unexplained factors and labour market discrimination. Individual data from the 1986 Labour Market Activity Survey is used to decompose the gross earnings differential. It is found that much of the wage gap is unexplained by human capital and other observable differences.

Estimating the Returns to Education : Accounting for Heterogeneity in Ability

Typically estimates of the benefits of education investments show average private rates of return for the average individual. The average may not be useful for policy. An examination of the distribution of the returns across individuals is needed. The few studies that have examined these patterns focus on high-income countries, showing investments to be more profitable at the top of the income distribution. The implication is that investments may increase inequality. Extending the analysis to 16 East Asian and Latin American countries the authors observe mixed evidence in middle-income countries and decreasing returns in low-income countries. Such differences between countries could be due to more job mobility in industrial countries, scarcity of skills, or differential exposure to market forces.

Economic Volatility and Returns to Education in Venezuela: 1992-2002

Preliminary evidence suggests that the rates of return to education in Venezuela have been declining since the 1970s. This study rigorously estimates the returns to education in Venezuela for the period 1992 to 2002 and links them to earlier available estimates from the 1980s. Consistent cross-sections from the Encuesta de Hogares por Muestro are used to document falling returns to schooling and educational levels until the mid-1990s, followed by increasing returns thereafter. Quantile regression analysis is used to provide further insight into the within skill group changes in returns over time.

Labour Market Performance of Tertiary Education Graduates in Vietnam

The objective of this study is to evaluate the external efficiency of higher educa-tion in Vietnam as preparation for the labour market. The data were obtained fromthe Higher Education Tracer Study, implemented by the Ministry of Labour Inva-lids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) as part of the World Bank-Vietnam EducationFinancing Sector Study (VEFSS). The sampling framework was designed to en-sure representation by region and institutional specialization. From lists provided,there were names for 42,754 graduates from 60 institutions. A representativesample of 1,829 graduates was followed up for incorporation in this study. Threetopics are identified for analysis: the relationship between earnings, education andsupplementary training; duration of job search; and incidence of employment/unemployment.

Child Labour in the Philippines: Determinants and Effects

This paper analyses the supply-side socioeconomic determinants of child labour in the Philippines using data from the National Household Survey and the Labour Force Survey of the Philippines. The research methodology is that of a sequential probit model which assumes that household decisions are made in a hierarchical manner. Using this model, the impact of various household and economic characteristics on the probability of child labour is estimated. The findings highlight specific populations that should be targeted, for example, single working mothers in urban areas and poor households in rural areas. Working towards elimination of child labour will involve a multi-angled policy approach with policies complementing each other.

Technology, Computers, and Wages: Evidence from a Developing Economy

Increasing returns to schooling and rising inequality are well documented for industrial countries and for some developing countries. The growing demand for skills is associated with recent technological developments. The authors argue that computers in the workplace represent one manifestation of these changes. Research in the United States and industrial countries documents a premium for computer use. But there is recent evidence suggesting that computer skills by themselves do not command a wage premium. The authors review the literature and use data from a survey of higher education graduates in Vietnam. The results support the unobserved heterogeneity explanation for computer wage premiums. They suggest that computers may make the productive workers even more productive. However, given the scarcity of computers in low-income countries, an operational strategy of increasing computer availability and skills would seem to offer considerable hope for increasing the incomes of the poor.

Benefits of general vs vocational/technical education in Singapore using quantile regressions

Purpose – This study sets out to investigate the pattern of benefits from education along the earnings distribution and compares this pattern between general and vocational/technical education in Singapore, with a particular focus on male‐female differences.Design/methodology/approach – Quantile regression methodology is used, which allows for estimates of education benefits that differentiate the contribution of the quantity and quality of education along the earnings distribution. The quantile regression estimates highlight where in the income/ability distribution the impact of education is more pronounced.Findings – Finds that, while the pattern of returns to an additional year of education for general education follows that of other high income countries, exhibiting increasing returns to education as one goes from lower to higher income quantiles, the returns to vocational education exhibit much lower heterogeneity. Based on the findings, the vocational education system in Singapore has served women w...

Private or public school advantage? Evidence from 40 countries using PISA 2012-Mathematics

ABSTRACT It is known that in most countries, private school students outperform students in public schools in international assessments. However, the empirical literature recognizes that assessing the true effect of private school attendance requires addressing selection and sorting issues on both observabland unobservables. The existing empirical evidence on the private school effect mostly covers OECD and Latin American countries, with little evidence on other parts of the world. There is recent emerging country-specific evidence doubting the existence of a private school advantage. I use PISA 2012 data for Mathematics and two different methodologies to derive baseline and bias-corrected estimates of the private-dependent and independent school effect for 40 countries. A robust private school advantage is found only in a handful of countries. Public schools generally perform as well as private subsidized schools and outperform independent schools. Accounting for both peer effects and selection is necessary when evaluating school effectiveness, especially in the case of independent schools.

The 'True' Private School Effect Using PISA 2012-Mathematics: Evidence from 40 Countries

It is known that in most countries, students of private schools outperform students in public schools in international assessments. However, the empirical literature recognizes that assessing the true effect of private school attendance requires addressing selection and sorting issues on both observables and unobservables. The existing empirical evidence on the private school effect mostly covers OECD and Latin American countries, with little evidence on other parts of the world. There is recent emerging country specific evidence doubting the existence of a private school advantage. I use PISA 2012 data for Mathematics and two different methodologies to derive bias-corrected estimates of the “true” private-dependent and independent school effect for 40 countries. A robust private school advantage if found only in a handful of countries. Public schools perform equally well as private subsidized schools and outperform independent schools. Accounting for both peer effects and selection is necessary when evaluating school effectiveness, especially in the case of independent schools.