Reducing the constraints to school access and progress: assessing the effects of a scholarship program in rural Malawi

Abstract

PurposeThe study aims to provide insight on the potential effectiveness of demand-side financing for catalyzing improved educational outcomes in Malawi; and, given the extent of cost-related constraints to school contexts in other low-income countries, the results have relevance for education policy decisions more broadly.Design/methodology/approachThis study utilizes a non-equivalent groups research design to compare the educational experiences and outcomes of two student groups – those who did and those who did not receive a needs-based scholarship to attend secondary school and college in the Dowa, Kasungu, and Lilongwe Districts of Malawi. The authors assess impacts across a range of short and medium-term outcomes, including: school attendance, withdrawal, attainment, graduation, employment status, employment quality, and post-schooling income.FindingsThe scholarship substantially reduces the household cost of participation in school, and reduces the distance travelled to school. As a result, scholarship recipients attain between 1 and 1.5 years of additional schooling and graduate at higher rates. In terms of post-schooling outcomes, recipients are in higher wage-earning occupations after leaving school. Overall, results suggest that scholarships are an effective demand-side strategy for improving educational attainment, progression, and potentially longer-term labor market outcomes.Originality/valueThe study adds new evidence on policy approaches for expanding access to educational opportunities and increasing labor market outcomes in a context (Malawi specifically and sub-Saharan Africa more broadly) where evidence on such demand-side interventions is still growing.

A multilevel analysis of educational transition rates at secondary level in sub-Saharan Africa

“…When looking at individuals' disadvantages at the SSA regional level, the entry point of policies should be on wealth and gender disparities. This is aligned with the literature review presented (see, for instance, Blimpo et al, 2019;Duflo et al, 2021;Hunsaker et al, 2022;Masuda & Yamauchi, 2018). In fact, young people originating from richer households have between 3.95 and 5.26 more chance to move up to the next education level during secondary than those coming from the poorest households; and young females have from 27 per cent to 8 per cent fewer chances to do so in comparison to young males.…”

“…To continue in upper secondary education, students need to meet high academic standards and pay high tuition fees, as well as accessing school materials, uniforms, and transport. That is why countries such as Malawi have low rates of student transition to upper-secondary education (Hunsaker et al, 2022). Other countries, such as Uganda, have reduced tuition fees for upper-secondary education, but without an impact on enrolment, with the most advantaged students receiving this benefit instead of poorest students (Omoeva & Gale, 2016).…”

“…A scholarship programme in Ghanian rural schools exhibited effects on educational attainment, knowledge, skills, and preventative health behaviours, while reducing female fertility (Duflo et al, 2021). Hunsaker et al (2022) found that a scholarship programme in rural Malawi had impacts in reducing the costs of household participation in schooling and travelling costs to school, with scholarship recipients achieving between 1 and 1.5 years additional years schooling and higher rates of graduation. In Benin, a programme for building rural schools significantly increased enrolment in rural areas (Deschênes & Hotte, 2019), while in Zambia a programme to increase the salary of rural teachers had significant effects on student outcomes as well (Chelwa et al, 2019).…”