Consequences of secondary school closures for learning in South Africa: Evidence from university application and enrolment data

Nicola Branson and Emma Whitelaw

International Journal of Educational Development, 2024, vol. 108, issue C

Abstract: We investigate the consequences of pandemic-related school closures on twelfth grade learning, leveraging university application and enrolment data from a selective public university in South Africa. Using difference-in-difference estimation strategies, we find suggestive evidence of learning losses in the school-leaving qualification in 2020, concentrated among lower achieving applicants. We also find a growing achievement gap between lower and higher performing applicants in mathematics. Losses are further reflected in a lower Grade Point Average among 2020 high school graduates who enrolled in university in 2021, compared to those who enrolled in 2021 but graduated high school before 2020.

Keywords: Administrative data; Higher education; Difference-in-differences; Learning loss; University applications; Enrolment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:injoed:v:108:y:2024:i:c:s0738059324000841

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2024.103062

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