School Opportunities Research Articles

Occupational classes and inequality in educational expenditures: Reproduction of social hierarchy through school education

We examine the role of educational expenditure in reproducing social hierarchy by focusing on occupational segmentation in India. Studies show quality of schools vary by medium of instruction (English/vernacular) and type of management (private/government) in terms of skills they impart to students. While these skills improve the prospects for students’ future upward mobility, educational expenditures vary across school types, with ‘better’ quality schools being more expensive. Educational expenditure is an important channel that shapes the pattern of school participation, which, in turn, may affect patterns of future mobility for children belonging to households located in a hierarchical occupational structure. Using data on school education and household occupational structure for 2007-08 and 2017-18, we classify schools based on their medium-of-instruction and type-of-management, and rank household types in terms of their primary occupation. Given the high economic growth and expansion of schooling opportunities during this period, an improvement in participation of low-ranked household types in ‘better’ schools may be expected, which may improve their future mobility prospects. Using a logistic regression framework, we, however, find that the correspondence between hierarchies of school-types and occupations have largely sustained, crucially mediated by educational expenditures incurred by households. Further investigation shows inequality in educational expenditures between household types has strengthened over this period. A decomposition of educational expenditures across household types shows that while some of the difference in expenditures is explained by the household characteristics in terms of their caste, religion, and educational status, the major part is attributed to differential returns to these characteristics that households reap due to their social positions. Given the structural nature of some of these characteristics, the inequality is likely to continue, thereby sustaining the correspondence between school and occupation types, which, in turn, is likely to reproduce the pattern of occupational and social hierarchy in India.JELI21, I24, I25, Z13

“They Give Us That Equal Kind of Level Playing Field to Do Whatever Someone in a Regular School Does.” An Exploration of Second-level Students’ Experiences with an Alternative Education Programme in Supporting Their Education and Well-being in a DEIS School

ABSTRACT Young people’s perspectives on social and educational inequalities got little attention from broader social theory and have not been prioritised by childhood and youth studies. Similarly, secondary school students’ voices and qualitative experiences with education and education inequality have been missing, particularly in an Irish context. Educational inequality has persisted in Irish education since the state’s independence. The Irish government has partially addressed the issue by introducing the Delivering of Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) Plan. Despite some positive outcomes of this policy, students attending DEIS schools still experience lower educational outcomes than their peers from non-DEIS schools. DEIS schools encounter different levels of disadvantage, and they cater for a higher percentage of people with intellectual disabilities and often rely on the support provided by charities and philanthropies [Cahill, K. (2021). Intersections of social class and special educational needs in a DEIS post-primary school: School choice and identity. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 28, 7, 977–991; Fleming, B., & Harford, J. (2023). The DEIS programme as a policy aimed at combating educational disadvantage: Fit for purpose? Irish Educational Studies, 42(42), 381–399]. The context of this study is set as an all-girl post-primary school in the wider Cork area, which receives financial and study support from an external alternative education programme exposed to a broader evaluation conducted by UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, University of Galway. Focus groups and photovoice were introduced to seek students’ experiences with the alternative education programme in the post-primary DEIS school context. Common findings emerging from the data are (a) social inequality and educational opportunities, (b)study and financial support provided by the alternative education programme, and (c) enhanced mental health and well-being. These findings contribute to a further understanding of young people’s experiences with educational inequality in an Irish DEIS school context and emphasise the role of external educational support programmes in tackling such challenges. Students' experiences with educational and broader socio-economic inequalities in Ireland, as presented in this paper, call for system change and policy reform in post-primary education.

The Longitudinal Implementation of a Mental Health Literacy Resource Among Grade 8 and 9 Students in a Catholic School Setting

ABSTRACT Background Mental disorders most likely manifest during adolescence, providing opportunities for schools and professionals to implement standardized mental health literacy (MHL) interventions to support improvement of mental health outcomes. Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the impact of an MHL intervention (the Guide) on knowledge, stigma, help-seeking and overall mental health among grade 8–9 students. Methods We developed a longitudinal cohort study to evaluate the Guide among 523 students, delivered across subsequent grade levels within a Catholic school board in Canada. We utilized validated measures to assess mental health knowledge, stigma, help seeking attitudes, and mental health across four time-points: baseline, end of grade 8, beginning of grade 9, and end of grade 9. Teachers undertook training to learn how to administer the intervention, utilize included teaching aids, and collect data. Results Students demonstrated improvements on knowledge and stigma at all measurement intervals, however statistically significant differences in help-seeking and well-being outcomes were not observed. Discussion This study suggests the plausibility of longer-term delivery of the Guide and similar resources in enhancing knowledge and reducing stigma among similar youth cohorts. Translation to Health Education Practice Certified Health Education Specialists may adapt the Guide to accommodate youth mental health needs in different contexts.

POLICY DEVELOPMENT FOR EFFECTIVE SCHOOL MANAGEMENT AMIDST DETERIORATING DISCIPLINE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KWAZULU-NATAL: CHALLENGES AND STRATEGIES

The current increasing indiscipline in the secondary schools undermines the overall management of schools hence the importance of proper school management for the achievement of the set objectives is critical important(Daka, 2021). Another problem that has come to light is eroding discipline among students in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: the issues under the management of misbehaviour disrupt school administration and jeopardize the educational process. In this paper, I discuss the numerous multifaceted causes of the difficulties that current secondary schools encounter in establishing discipline. Through a review of literature, coupled with interviews with educational administrators personally encountered by the researcher, important areas of consideration, among which include the socio-economic conditions, poor school policies, and a bad influence from the community have been found to be among the important factors that contribute to the current disciplinary crisis. The study employs Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory as a framework to analyse the interconnected systems influencing school discipline, including the microsystem (family and school environments), mesosystem (interactions between school and community), exosystem (external policies and socio-economic conditions), and macrosystem (cultural and societal norms). The findings highlight the need for comprehensive and multi-faceted strategies to address these challenges effectively. Some of the key suggestions include providing practical, effective and clear disciplinary measures to be taken, enhancing school community relations, and providing teachers with training and focusing on the socio-economic factors leading to indiscipline. The study also highlights the practical recommendation as ethical leadership and inclusion of the African philosophy, specifically Ubuntu, in developing the better-discipline school climate. This study provides a valuable contribution to the literature on educational management in South and provides practical research that may be useful for policymakers, educators, and school administrators who want to improve school discipline and management. The strategies put forward present an opportunity for schools in KwaZulu-Natal to foster appropriate environment that would facilitate learning and ensure that learners gain improved education outcomes, and instil discipline insisting on accountability among llearners.

Migration & the Quest for Educational Equity in Germany

Abstract Germany has undergone a significant transformation from a nation that saw itself as culturally homogeneous to a society characterized by diversity and immigration. The education system, however, continues to struggle to meet the needs of children and young people from diverse backgrounds. This manifests in forms of unequal treatment and discrimination that impede the effective integration and education of students from different ethnic, linguistic, cultural, and religious groups. This is particularly true for students from nonacademic, low-socioeconomic status backgrounds, as well as for students from immigrant families: categories that frequently overlap. However, there are promising educational interventions and initiatives that address issues of democracy, diversity, and equal opportunity in schools. I provide an overview of select issues in the production and reproduction of inequality in the German school system and in everyday teaching practices, with a focus on including students of immigrant origin.

Current and Future Directions for School Media Specialists

School media specialists have served as technological experts for their schools and have been pioneers with digital natives, helping create good digital citizens and addressing digital gaps for learners and advocate for access no matter what barriers students face. School of Library and Information Science programs have focused on creating a curriculum that will help create a school technology expert for every school library. This served schools well during the COVID-19 shutdowns, where the school had to find new ways for students to learn remotely.School media specialists have now become the target of hate in their schools. This has become increasingly complicated with states legislating what can be put in school libraries and how teachers can address historical events. School media specialists are required to make decisions on access or potentially losing their jobs. While these are important areas, they are just a small part of the job for school media specialists. The American Association of School Librarians has increased the expected role for school media specialists, having them often serve as teacher, instructional partner, information specialist, and program administrator, all in addition to serving as the expert technologist at their school. However, not all school media programs take this approach to pedagogy for school media.School media specialists create technological opportunities for schools and are a key source for teachers seeking to reach students with diverse learning styles while informing and building relationships with families on internet safety and other important topics. Teachers depend on school media specialists to provide resources and support for the classroom while school media specialists also support students’ intellectual freedom. Ultimately, the focus for school media specialists has been to try to create a school library that represents everyone’s values. While this sounds ideal, it has been a difficult road for the profession.The position of school media specialist has changed dramatically over the last four years. This panel seeks to address research contributions to scholarship on school media specialists and how Schools of Library and Information Science are changing their programs to prepare school media specialists for the workforce. There will be a moderator and a panel comprised of four faculty members who are educators, practitioners, and researchers specializing in school media. Their perspectives and expertise will be present in this discussion, along with the following discussion topics:What are your current research findings telling you?What are practitioners experiencing?What is working with educational pedagogy in school media?What is not working with educational pedagogy in school media?What new technologies have you incorporated into the curriculum?What changes are being made at Schools of Information Science programs to help ready students for the current environment?The panel will explore questions of education, research, and practitioner-based experiences to address concerns impacting school media specialists. The information will inform the future discussion and curriculum pedagogy for school media specialists. The panel discussion will be formatted around the expertise of the faculty with school media. These discussions will inform pedagogical teaching practices in school media programs and hopefully provide a framework for improvement.

Disparities in School Connectedness, Unstable Housing, Experiences of Violence, Mental Health, and Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among Transgender and Cisgender High School Students - Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2023.

Transgender high school students (those whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth) experience disparate health outcomes and challenges in school, including violence and discrimination, compared with cisgender students (those whose gender identity aligns with their sex assigned at birth). Until recently, population-based data describing the experiences of transgender students and students questioning whether they are transgender (questioning) have been limited. In 2023, the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey assessed transgender identity, providing the first nationally representative data about transgender students. This report describes the demographic characteristics of transgender and questioning high school students and examines differences in the prevalence of experiences of violence, poor mental health, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, school connectedness, and unstable housing among transgender, questioning, and cisgender high school students nationwide. In 2023, 3.3% of U.S. high school students identified as transgender, and 2.2% identified as questioning. Transgender and questioning students experienced a higher prevalence of violence, poor mental health, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and unstable housing, and a lower prevalence of school connectedness than their cisgender peers. Compared with 8.5% of cisgender male students, 25.3% of transgender students and 26.4% of questioning students skipped school because they felt unsafe. An estimated 40% of transgender and questioning students were bullied at school, and 69% of questioning students and 72% of transgender students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, a marker for experiencing depressive symptoms. Approximately 26% of transgender and questioning students attempted suicide in the past year compared with 5% of cisgender male and 11% of cisgender female students. Intervention opportunities for schools to create safer and more supportive environments for transgender and questioning students can help address these disparities. The findings of this report suggest that more effort is necessary to ensure that the health and well-being of youths who are socially marginalized is prioritized.

Pointing to success: a discussion of the role of professional achievements in the selection of specialist surgical trainees

In Australia and New Zealand, competitive selection processes for surgical specialty training programs often use a standardized curriculum vitae (CV) to assess criteria such as professional achievements. This review aims to assess the predictive validity, standardization, and implicit biases of these selection methods, as well as their implications for trainees and the diversity of surgical cohorts. The 2023 CV scoring criteria were collected for all available specialty surgical programs in Australia and New Zealand. In 2023, each of the 11 surgical craft programs published publicly available standardized CV scoring criteria. In this study, scored items that constitute 'professional achievements' were recorded and tabulated. Observational analysis of the collected data was then conducted. In 2023, each of the 11 specialty surgical craft programs published publicly available structured CVs, of which 10/11 allocated points for professional achievements. Designated points for professional achievements were classified as awards, scholarships, committee positions, and prior training courses: 4/11 programs offered points for scholarships/grants, 6/11 programs offered points for academic and/or non-academic prizes, and 8/11 programs offered points for professional development courses. Observational analysis of these findings suggests that professional achievements are desired in training program applicants. Variability in medical school opportunities and inherent heterogeneity reduce the CV's efficacy, unfairly disadvantaging some applicants. Observational analysis of hence highlights the need for future research to assess potential updates in CV parameters to enhance predictive validity, reduce bias, and promote diversity.

Outdoor recess is associated with more positive attitudes toward physical activity among pre-adolescent students and their parents.

School day structure has the potential to increase students' physical activity (PA) levels and form positive attitudes about PA. Including various PA opportunities and free play possibilities in the school schedule, especially outdoor recess, can improve students' moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) levels during school time. Therefore, the main aim of the study was to investigate students' and their parents' attitudes about outdoor recess and PA opportunities in schools with different recess opportunities. Students from grades three to six (9-13-year-olds) and their parents responded to a questionnaire about the effect of outdoor recess and opportunities for PA during the school day. Schools were divided into three groups based on the recess opportunities during the school day: (1) "outdoor recess", (2) "outdoor recess on some days", (3) "indoor recess". Students and parents of the "outdoor recess" group had significantly more positive attitudes about outdoor recess and PA opportunities in school. Students of the "outdoor recess" group stated being significantly more active during their leisure-time compared to other groups. Parents of the "outdoor recess" group stated that the school has asked their opinion regarding PA opportunities during the school day significantly more compared to the other two groups. These findings emphasize the positive effect outdoor recess can have on students' PA beliefs and habits. Parents of the "outdoor recess" group also had more positive attitudes toward PA which is important as parents most likely convey their attitudes and beliefs to their children. In addition, involving and informing parents is critical when changing the school schedule and introducing new school culture, to make the changes last.

Schoolfeeds: A study of principals’ governance of school social media pages and students’ data, privacy and treatment

It is common for contemporary schools to have a presence on social media for the purpose of connecting with the school community and often the wider public. Drawing on the perspectives of five Australian non-government principals, the study explored why schools engaged with social media and the approaches used to manage the school's social media activities. We found that the main perceived value was in marketing the school to prospective families, which required active curation of posts and comments to ensure a positive image was presented and maintained. We further found that principals consider social media platforms to be neutral mechanisms for communication, not dissimilar to previous forms of communication long used by schools to engage with their communities. When viewed through a data justice lens, we argue that these views result in unintended consequences by presenting an image of the school that does not represent the diversity of its students and activities and by perpetuating the exploitative practices of commercial platforms that commodify students’ data. There are also missed opportunities for schools to better promote their educational goals and activate students as agents in representing themselves online and developing their data literacy. We propose that by adopting the term ‘schoolfeeds’ we can promote a more critical engagement with school social media that can lead to better policy and practice.

Street dentistry: A commentary on Canada's new dental coverage and expansion opportunities for dental schools, health agencies, and not-for-profit.

Street dentistry: A commentary on Canada's new dental coverage and expansion opportunities for dental schools, health agencies, and not-for-profit.

Structures and Processes of Grading Committees in Internal Medicine Clerkships: Results of a National Survey.

Clerkship grades are important in the residency selection process but can be influenced by individual bias and grading tendencies. Although clinical competency committees are standard in graduate medical education, in undergraduate medical education, they have not gained widespread traction. This study describes structures and processes of grading committees in internal medicine (IM) clerkships and strategies used to mitigate grading bias. From September to December 2022, the Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine conducted its annual survey of IM core clerkship directors at 140 U.S. and U.S. territory-based medical schools. This study was based on 23 questions about grading committees in IM clerkships. The survey response rate was 80% (n = 112/140). Forty-seven respondents (42%) reported using grading committees in their IM clerkship (median committee size, 7; range, 3-20) (primarily clerkship leadership and faculty). Responsibilities included determining grades for all students (31 [66%]) and students at borderline of failing (30 [64%]), adjudicating on students with professionalism concerns (25 [53%]), and reconciling discordant clinical evaluations (24 [51%]). To mitigate deliberation bias, committees most frequently used multisource assessments (38 [81%]) and adoption of a shared mental model (36 [77%]). Approximately one-third of grading committees "rarely" discussed gender (14 [30%]) and race or ethnicity (15 [32%]), and 7 committees (15%) "never" discussed gender and race or ethnicity. Clerkship directors perceived developing a shared mental model (60 [92%]), promoting consistency (59 [91%]) and transparency (57 [88%]) in the process, mitigating assessment bias (58 [89%]), improving student satisfaction (54 [83%]), and sharing grading responsibility (44 [68%]) as potential benefits. This study found that grading committees in IM clerkships are not widely used and that existing committees vary in structure and process. These findings highlight an opportunity for medical schools to consider using grading committees to improve grade assignment and address grading inconsistencies.

TECHNOLOGICAL CHALLENGES IN TEACHING COURSES OF AGRICULTURAL INTEREST IN VOCATIONAL UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN GREECE

The use of technology has entered in vocational education and training (VET), and there is a fundamental link between digital technologies and educational and pedagogical processes. The modern teacher must change his/her mentality and redefine his/her role from a simple provider of knowledge to a fellow traveller in the learning process, changing their pedagogical practices and promoting and successfully implementing digital technologies. The use of technology contributes to the activeness of students in the learning process and encourages individual learning and collaboration. Teachers can take advantage of students' interests and integrate technology into their classrooms, making learning effective and keeping them engaged in the lesson. This creates new opportunities for VET schools, teachers, and learners.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0621/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

How Learners Perceive Inter-Disciplinary Dialogic Science Related Learning Experiences: A Mixed-Method Study

Well-designed, dialogic, and interdisciplinary learning opportunities in science related disciplines can promote many educational goals. The difficulty lies in providing these opportunities in schools. Can out-of-school focus days fill the void? Here, we performed a mixed methods study to discover how middle school learners perceive focus days that included dialogic, interdisciplinary activities in mathematics, science, and philosophy, all around socio-scientific dilemmas. We also sought to understand the experiences’ impact on learners’ self-perceived dialogic engagement in the school classroom. We focused on (1) learners’ perceptions and recollections of the dialogic climate during the focus days; (2) the perceived contribution of the three disciplines (mathematics, science and philosophy) to the interdisciplinary focus days; and (3) the focus days’ effects on the dialogic climate in the everyday school environment. Our findings suggest that (1) learners generally considered the focus days as enjoyable and different than their everyday school experience; (2) students did not consider each discipline equally relevant to the focus days’ main topics; and (3) the effects of the focus days were localized, that is, no impact was found on the dialogic climate at school. We discuss implications for promoting interdisciplinary, dialogic science related learning in secondary schools.

Perspectives of primary school teachers on the capacity of schools to support post-pandemic health needs emerging among school-age children.

This study aimed to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on capacity building for health promotion in primary schools from the perspectives of primary school teachers. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted via an anonymous online survey between February and May 2022. Three-quarters (n2460) of all schools in the Republic of Ireland were invited to participate. Demographics such as gender, teaching experience, school type and delivering equality of opportunity in schools (DEIS) designation were collected. Perceived capacity for health promotion was measured on a 10-point Likert scale. Facilitators and barriers related to health promotion and aspects of child health prioritised for health promotion in the 2years after restrictions eased were explored via closed- and open-ended questions. Of the 595 responses, 493 were eligible for analysis. Participants were based in schools in every county in the Republic of Ireland, with most (85.4%, n421) being female. Almost a third (30.5%, n150) were 11-20 years post-qualification, and a quarter (25.2%, n124) had over 30 years' teaching experience. Mean capacity for school-based health promotion pre-pandemic was moderate, at 6.6±2.2 on a 10-point scale. Mean capacity in spring 2022 decreased significantly (p< 0.001) to 4.1±2.4, indicating poor capacity. Capacity ratings did not significantly differ by school type (p= 0.31), socioeconomic designation (p= 0.27) or years post-qualification (p= 0.08). Capacity decrements were most frequently (49.7%, n245) attributed to organisational factors, while individual and community-level factors were cited by 27.6% (n136) and 21.5% (n106) of respondents, respectively. Healthy eating significantly (p< 0.001) decreased as a priority for health promotion between pre-pandemic times (76.3%, n376) and spring 2022 (23.1%, n114). Mental health significantly (p< 0.01) increased as a priority, being listed by 38.1% (n188) as a priority pre-pandemic and doubling to 72.6% (n358) in spring 2022. Fostering a holistic approach to health promotion in schools remains a challenge. Further efforts are needed to support schools to implement sustainable and balanced systems of health promotion.

Children and Youths’ Belonging in Protracted Displacement: A Mixed-Methods Study from Kakuma Refugee Camp

Millions of children and youth live in forced displacement. We conducted a mixed-methods study among 729 primary students in Kakuma Refugee Camp to examine the roles of knowledge, experience (direct or indirect), language, and schooling in students’ sense of belonging to their home country and intention to return. We found sense of belonging is associated with knowledge of one’s country and its traditions, fluency in one’s home language, and schooling opportunities. However, these same factors are negatively associated with their intent to repatriate in the near future. The relationship between formal and informal learning appears to encourage a pragmatic sense of belonging to Kenya for the immediate future while any sense of belonging and hope for return to their home countries are projected onto an imagined future.

Procedural justice, neighborhood opportunities and police legitimacy

PurposeRecent scholarship calls for identifying conditions in which procedurally just treatment translate to increased police legitimacy. The present study draws on community justice and vitality and procedural justice literature to examine whether adolescent and young adults’ perceptions of legitimate work and school opportunities in their neighborhoods moderate the effects of fair treatment by police on perceptions of police legitimacy.Design/methodology/approachLongitudinal data from a justice-involved youth sample and a series of generalized linear mixed models are used to test the study’s hypotheses. We model “persons as contexts” and separate within-person and between-person effects.FindingsMain effects models indicate that procedural justice and neighborhood opportunities both have significant within-individual, between-individual and person-contextual effects on police legitimacy. Results from interaction models indicate strong support for a person-contextual interaction effect. Net of covariates, higher average perceptions of procedurally just treatment leads to greater average police legitimacy, but this effect erodes when individuals perceive weak educational and occupational opportunities in their neighborhoods over time.Originality/valueEfforts to maximize police legitimacy may be enhanced through greater investment in community opportunity structures. This study highlights the need for public officials and police to support the educational and occupational vitality of communities as a key strategy to promote police legitimacy and optimize core aspects of the procedural justice model.

Risk factors associated with Rohingya refugee girls' education in Bangladesh: A multilevel analysis of survey data.

In Bangladesh, the world's largest refugee settlement currently shelters approximately onemillion Rohingya refugees who fled Myanmar to escape military persecution. Educating a significant number of young Rohingya, roughly half of whom are female, presents a significantchallenge. Despite the presence of learning centres (LCs) across refugee camps, Rohingya girls may encounter specific barriers to accessing education due to exposure to various risks, such as violence, child marriage, and trauma stemming from past military oppression. This paper investigates the association between these risk factors and Rohingya girls' likelihood of attending LCs, and how this association may vary across refugee camps. Using survey data and employing three-level multilevel logistic regression models, I find that girls are less likely to attend LCs if they are at risk of encountering sexual abuse, child marriage, and psychological distress or trauma. These factors explain considerable variation in girls' LC attendance between camps and between households. In addition to providing more schooling opportunities to Rohingya children, prioritising girls' safety, protecting them from forced and child marriage, and supporting their psychological well-being require increased policy attention.

Unwritten ground rules of school choice: Excavating capital as a regulator of access to educational goods

District leaders in school choice contexts tend to overlook the many hidden costs of selecting schools in terms of mobility, time, liquidity, and labor. Meanwhile, a body of literature on school choice policies and cultural, social, and political capital shows that middle-class parents use the resources they possess to get the school access they want. In this study, I critically examine the complex interplay between school choice policies and forms of capital. This analysis extends our empirical understanding of the political dimensions of families’ school choices—the way parent resources, relationships, and strategies determine “who gets what, when, and how” (Laswell, 1936) in terms of schooling opportunities, and way these policies help structure disproportionate school access. By attending to families’ affordances of cultural, social, and political capital in studies of school choice, authorities may be more likely to design choice supports that address some demand-side inequities.

Climate-related Disaster and Human Capital Investment in the Global South — Household Heterogeneity and Growth

This study develops a dynamic model of climate-related disaster impacts, considering multidimensional household heterogeneity, for analyzing changes in growth and inequality in low-income countries. Focusing on human capital development, the study demonstrates the multiple impacts of disaster risk reduction (DRR) policies on human capital investment, including the effect of schooling opportunities for households constrained by the subsistence consumption constraint. Through numerical simulations performed for two economies that differ in terms of human capital, modeled after Madagascar and Fiji, it is illustrated that the possibilities of involuntary unemployment and the work-learning choice drive the diversity in macroeconomic impacts of a disaster. In an economy characterized by low levels of human capital, a disaster could cause an increase in labor supply in the immediate aftermath but interrupt human capital formation, impeding long-term growth and human capital formation. Such a result contradicts prevailing intuition by demonstrating that a disaster occurring in an economy under recession may not result in a large adverse GDP impact in the short run but may negatively impact growth in the long run. On such a path, a policy of development in DRR infrastructure with appropriate taxation could reduce human-capital gaps in the long run by supporting continued post-disaster human-capital-investment opportunities for the poor.