Teachers, Electoral Cycles, and Learning in India

Sonja Fagernäs and Panu Pelkonen

Journal of Human Resources, 2020, vol. 55, issue 2, 699-732

Abstract: Teachers 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.

JEL-codes: D73 H75 I21 J24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
Note: DOI: 10.3368/jhr.55.3.0816-8100R
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:uwp:jhriss:v:55:y:2020:i:2:p:699-732

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