Do Solar Lamps Help Children Study? Contrary Evidence from a Pilot Study in Uganda

Chishio Furukawa

Journal of Development Studies, 2014, vol. 50, issue 2, 319-341

Abstract: Over half a billion children lack adequate lighting and use dim, smoky and dangerous kerosene-based lighting for their evening studies. This article examines the conventional wisdom that the brighter, clean, safe and zero-marginal-cost light of solar lamps enhances children's learning outcomes. In a randomised experiment, unexpectedly, solar lamps lowered test scores by five points out of 100 (0.25 standard deviation), but increased reported study time by approximately 30 minutes per day. This may be due to flickering from lack of full charge, lowering their productivity. The nationwide learning assessment suggests that solar lamps likely have an insignificant effect on educational attainment.

Date: 2014
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DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2013.833320

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