Highlights

Abstract

Keywords

۱٫ Introduction

۲٫ Background

۳٫ Methods

۴٫ Results

۵٫ Discussion

۶٫ Conclusions and implications

Disclosures

Acknowledgments

CRediT authorship contribution statement

References

Abstract

In Ethiopia, major policy reforms to increase equitable access to pre-primary education were instigated in 2010, leading to a surge in pre-primary school enrolment. This paper investigates the effects of the expansion on who gets access to pre-primary education and on readiness for primary school. We find that inequalities in pre-primary access between advantaged and disadvantaged regions of the country persist following the reforms, with girls less likely to attend school, particularly in more disadvantaged regions. More than half of children enrolled in pre-primary classrooms are below the official age of 6 years. Children from more advantaged backgrounds (those whose parents are literate, have reading materials at home, and live in urban areas) are more likely to participate in pre-primary schools both before and after the reform. Yet pre-primary education could play a role in equalizing opportunities in primary school: we find pre-primary participation to be positively associated with children’s reading skills in Grades 2 and 3 of primary school after the expansion. These findings highlight the need to focus policy attention on efforts to reduce barriers to pre-primary access for children in disadvantaged circumstances.

۱٫ Introduction

International evidence shows that investing in early childhood programs can have large economic returns for societies and children, particularly those from socially disadvantaged groups (Engle et al., 2011; Heckman & Masterov, 2007; Walker, Chang, Vera-Hernandez & Grantham-McGregor, 2011; Yoshikawa et al., 2013). Despite increased pressure to invest in such programs, pre-primary education has been neglected in many low- and lower-middle income countries. As a result, only 1 in 5 children has access to pre-primary education in low-income countries (UNICEF, 2019). In recent years, governments and donors have scaled up their commitment to pre-primary education (Black et al., 2017). This commitment is reflected in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal on education, which includes an explicit target to achieve universal pre-primary education by 2030, with the aim of improving children’s readiness for entry into primary school (Target 4.2, United Nations, 2015). With this emphasis on expanding pre-primary education provision, evidence is needed on whether such expansion is reaching the most disadvantaged as well as its effect on school readiness, particularly in low-income countries that currently are furthest from the Sustainable Development Goal target.