Mobile Phones, Civic Engagement, and School Performance in Pakistan

Minahil Asim and Thomas Dee

No 22764, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: The effective governance of local public services depends critically on the civic engagement of local citizens. However, recent efforts to promote effective citizen oversight of the public-sector services in developing countries have had mixed results. This study discusses and evaluates a uniquely designed, low-cost, scalable program designed to improve the governance and performance of primary and middle schools in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The School Council Mobilization Program (SCMP) used mobile-phone calls to provide sustained and targeted guidance to local school-council members on their responsibilities and authority. We examine the effects of the SCMP on school enrollment, student and teacher attendance, and school facilities using a “difference in difference in differences” (DDD) design based on the targeted implementation of the SCMP. We find that this initiative led to meaningful increases in primary-school enrollment, particularly for young girls (i.e., a 12.4 percent increase), as well as targeted improvements in teacher attendance and school facilities, most of which were sustained in the months after the program concluded.

JEL-codes: I2 O1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dev, nep-edu and nep-pay
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Published as Minahil Asim & Thomas S. Dee, 2022. "Mobile Phones, Civic Engagement, and School Performance in Pakistan," Economics of Education Review, vol 89.

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Journal Article: Mobile Phones, Civic Engagement, and School Performance in Pakistan (2022)
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