The Productivity of Public and Private Preschools (and Schools): Evidence from India
中文摘要
本文使用泰米尔纳德邦215个村庄的面板数据，研究私立与公立机构在学前教育和小学教育阶段的相对生产率。私立学前教育机构在数学和语言测试成绩上的增值更高（约0.59—0.74个标准差），并且在几乎所有村庄都优于政府办学机构。这一生产率差异解释了入学前社会经济地位群体间测试成绩差距的60%。这些结果与小学教育形成鲜明对比：在小学阶段，我们未发现私立部门在数学方面具有优势的证据，而其对当地语言成绩存在负向影响。在同一村庄内，私立与公立教育选择的测试成绩增值在学前教育和小学教育阶段均呈正相关。不同教育阶段之间的质量也存在相关性；小学生产率较高的村庄，其学前教育机构的生产率往往也更高。本文的发现为如何实现基础技能全民普及的讨论提供了参考，并凸显出改善低收入家庭可获得的学前教育质量的必要性。
Abstract
Abstract We study the relative productivity of private and public institutions at the preschool and primary school levels using panel data from 215 villages in Tamil Nadu. Private preschools show higher test score value-added in math and language (${\sim} 0.59 \!-\!0.74\sigma\!$) and outperform government providers in nearly all villages. This productivity difference explains 60% of the socioeconomic test score gap before school entry. These results contrast starkly with primary schooling, where we find no evidence of a private-sector premium in math and negative effects in local language. Test score value-added is positively correlated between private and government options in a village, both at the preschool and primary school levels. Quality is also correlated across levels; villages with more productive primary schools also tend to have more productive preschools. Our findings inform debates on achieving universal foundational skills and highlight the need to improve the quality of preschools available to lower-income families.