Teacher Absence in India Flashcards
Authors of the paper?
Kremer et al (2005).
The experiment:
20 Indian states, 3 unannounced visits made to each of over 3700 schools, teacher considered absent if the investigator could not find the teacher in the school during regular working hours.
What proportion of teachers were absent at a typical government-run primary school?
25%.
Absence rates in low income states?
Higher - doubling per capita income leads to a 4.7% point lower predicted absence.
Teachers with a college degree…
2-2.5% points more likely to be absent.
Being 10 years older…
1-1.5% points more likely to be absent.
Head teachers…
4-5% points more likely to be absent.
Therefore, better paid teachers are…?
More likely to be absent.
Reasons for high absenteeism?
Little risk of being fired.
Power differentials.
Poor infrastructure.
Proportion of head teachers who fired a teacher for repeated absence?
1/3000.
Remote schools…
Teachers in schools that are far away from a paved road are nearly 4% points less likely to be in school than those closest to a road.
Inspections in schools…
Teachers in school that had been inspected in the 3 months before the visit were 2%points less likely to be absent.
Lower absence rates in schools with…
More educated parents.
High pupil-teacher ratios.
PTAs that have met in the past 3 months.
Private schools
Much lower wages than public-school teachers but also greater chance of dismissal for absence.
Teachers are 8% points less likely to be absent than public school teachers in the same village (private schools disproportionately located in villages with very high absence rates in govt schools).
Advocates of private schools:
They spring up in areas where govt schools perform very badly.
