2020 Theses Doctoral

School-entry Eligibility Effects in Developing Countries

Morales, Melisa

This dissertation focuses on the exogenously induced discontinuity that is observed in educational indicators as a result of school-entry age regulations. It has been conducted in response to the research gap in low-and-middle-income countries (LMIC) in terms of school-entry law effects. I present three empirical analyses for Peru based on data sets with information on the exact date of birth-- the 2017 Population Census, the National Household Survey (ENAHO), the National Demographics and Health Survey (ENDES), and the 2010 University Student Census. Discontinuity-based estimates shed light on the school eligibility effects on educational attainment, the effect of preschool attendance on maternal labor supply, and the effect of school-entry laws on college enrollment delay.