Abstract
This paper aims to show the impact of access to electricity on school enrollment in Bangladesh. It offers an empirical investigation of the relationship between access to electricity and school enrollment statuses, such as grade progression, repetition, and non-attendance. The data were taken from Bangladesh’s Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) database 2012–2013 provided by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and UNICEF; the data include two years of grading information for children of ages ranging from 5–15. We applied the propensity score matching (PSM) and the Markov schooling transition model using matched sample data. The results show that access to electricity has a significant positive effect on grade progression and a significant negative effect on non-attendance in the short run as well as in the long run. The simulation result shows that the non-attendance rate is lower and the school enrollment rate for children grades 9-11 is higher in the electrified areas compared to unelectrified areas. This result suggests that access to electricity is an important strategic indicator for increasing school enrollment in both primary and secondary schools.
Highlights
Light is a basic human need, and is considered an important indicator of everyday lifestyle
It is motivated by an empirical study based in rural Mexico that shows that a school subsidy program is associated with higher enrollment rates, less grade repetition, better grade progression, and lower dropout rates [3]
We considered that the 1-year impact of access to electricity for children of a given age a could be evaluated by comparing the age-specific transition matrix estimated for the treated and control groups: Â Ta =1 − Â Ta =0
Summary
Light is a basic human need, and is considered an important indicator of everyday lifestyle. Most households in unelectrified regions use kerosene lamps, candles, and solar lanterns as sources of indoor lighting. These types of lighting adversely affect the safety, health, and environment of household members. We consider access to electricity to be access to lighting sources. This study extends reflection on the link between access to electricity and school enrollment. It is motivated by an empirical study based in rural Mexico that shows that a school subsidy program is associated with higher enrollment rates, less grade repetition, better grade progression, and lower dropout rates [3]
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