Skip to main content
Log in

Does a food for education program affect school outcomes? The Bangladesh case

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Population Economics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The Food for Education (FFE) program was introduced to Bangladesh in 1993. This paper evaluates the effect of this program on school participation and duration of schooling using household survey data collected in 2000. Using propensity score matching combined with difference-in-differences methodologies, we find that the program is successful in that eligible children on average have 15% to 26% higher school participation rates, relative to their counterfactuals who would have been eligible for the program had they lived in the program-eligible areas. Conditional on school participation, participants also stay at school 0.7 to 1.05 years longer than their counterfactuals.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abadie A, Imbens G (2004) On the failure of the bootstrap for matching estimators. Harvard University, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Abadie A, Imbens G (2006) Large sample properties of matching estimators for average treatment effects. Econometrica 74(1):235–267

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ahmed AU (2000) Targeted distribution. In: Ahmed R, Haggblede S, Choudhury T-E-E (eds) Out of the shadow of famine: evolving food markets and food policy in Bangladesh, Chepter 11. The John Hopkins University Press for the International Food Policy Research Institute, Baltimore

    Google Scholar 

  • Ahmed AU, del Ninno C (2002) The food for education program in Bangladesh: an evaluation of its impact on educational attainment and food security. Food Consumption and Nutrition Division Discussion Paper No. 138. International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington D.C., September

    Google Scholar 

  • Alam M, Hoque MS, Anwaruzzaman C, Chowdhury OH, Sarkar AI (1999) Enhancing accessibility to and retention in primary education for the rural poor in Bangladesh: an evaluation of the food for education program. Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, Dhaka, 7 June

    Google Scholar 

  • Angrist JD, Bettinger E, Bloom E, King E, Kremer M (2002) Vouchers for private schooling in Colombia: evidence from a randomized natural experiment. Am Econ Rev 92(5):1535–1559

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Armecin G, Behrman JR, Duazo P, Ghuman S, Gultiano S, King EM, Lee N, Office of Population Studies, University of San Carlos ECD Team (2006) Early childhood development through integrated programs: evidence from the Philippines. Cebu City, New York, Philadelphia and Washington: Universityies of Pennsylvania, and San Carlos, Population Council and World Bank

  • Behrman JR, Cheng, Y, Todd P (2004) Evaluating preschool programs when length of exposure to the program varies: a non-parametric approach. Rev Econ Stat 86(1):108–132

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Behrman JR, Sengupta P, Todd PE (2005) Progressing through PROGRESA: an impact assessment of Mexicos school subsidy Expeiment. Econ Dev Cult Change 54(1):237–275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Behrman JR, Parker SW, Todd PE (2007) Medium-term impacts of the oportunidades conditional cash transfer program on rural youth in Mexico. In: Klase S, Nowak-Lehmann F (eds) Poverty, inequality, and policy in Latin America. MIT, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Bettinger E, Slonim R (2006) Using experimental economics to measure the effects of a natural educational experiment on altruism. J Public Econ 90(8–9):1625–1648

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blundell R, Costa Dias M (2000) Evaluation methods for non-experimental data. Fisc Stud 21(4):427–468

    Google Scholar 

  • Bourguignon F, Ferreira FHG, Leite PG (2003) Conditional cash transfers, schooling and child labor: micro-simulating Brazils bolsa eschola program. World Bank Econ Rev 17(2):229–254

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coady DP, Parker SW (2004) Coast-effectiveness analysis of demand- and supply-side education interventions: the case of progresa in Mexico. Rev Dev Econ 8(3):440–451

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dehejia RH, Wahba S (2002) Propensity score-matching methods for none-experimental causal studies. Rev Econ Stat 84(1):151–161

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heckman JJ, Ichimura H, Todd PE (1997) Matching as an econometric evaluation estimator: evidence from evaluating a job training program. Rev Econ Stud 64:605–654

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heckman JJ, Ichimura H, Smith J, Todd PE (1996) Sources of selection bias in evaluation social programs: an interpretation of conventional measures and evidence on the effectiveness of matching as a program evaluation method. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 93:13416–13420

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Katz L, King J, Liebman J (2001) Moving to opportunity in Boston: early results of a randomized mobility experiment. Q J Econ 116(2):607–653

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maluccio JA, Flores R (2005) Impact evaluation of a conditional cash transfer program: the Nicaraguan red de proteccion social. Research Report 141. International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington D.C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ravallion M, Wodon Q (2001) Does child labour displace schooling? Evidence on behavioural responses to an enrollment subsidy. Econ J 110:C158–C175, March

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenbaum P, Rubin DB (1985) Constructing a control group using multivariate matched sampling methods that incorporate the propensity score. Am Stat 39:33–38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenzweig MR, Wolpin KL (1986) Evaluating the effects of optimally distributed public programs. Am Econ Rev 76(3):470–487

    Google Scholar 

  • Rouse C (1998) Private school vouchers and student achievement: an evaluation of the milwaukee parental choice program. Q J Econ 113(2):553–602

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rubin DB (1978) Bayesian inference for causal effects: the role of randomization. Ann Stat 7:34–58

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schultz P (2004) School subsidies for the poor: evaluating the Mexican progresa poverty program. J Dev Econ 74(1):199–250

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skoufias E, McClafferty B (2001) Is PROGRESA working? In: Summary of the results of an evaluation by IFPRI. Food consumption and nutrition division discussion paper no. 118. International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington D.C., July

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xin Meng.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Christian Dustmann

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Meng, X., Ryan, J. Does a food for education program affect school outcomes? The Bangladesh case. J Popul Econ 23, 415–447 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00148-009-0240-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00148-009-0240-0

Keywords

JEL Classification

Navigation