School Dropout in Central America : An Overview of Trends, Causes, Consequences, and Promising Interventions
School dropout is a growing concern in Central America, and in Latin America as a whole, because of its consequences for economic productivity, the inclusiveness of growth, social cohesion, and increasing youth risks. This paper utilizes more than...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2016
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/02/25887960/school-dropout-central-america-overview-trends-causes-consequences-promising-interventions http://hdl.handle.net/10986/23914 |
| Summary: | School dropout is a growing concern in
Central America, and in Latin America as a whole, because of
its consequences for economic productivity, the
inclusiveness of growth, social cohesion, and increasing
youth risks. This paper utilizes more than two decades of
household survey data to construct a systematic overview of
school dropout at the primary and secondary levels in
Central America, including recent trends, causes and
consequences, and evidence on what works to reduce dropout.
Within each country, poverty, rurality, and indigenous group
membership are the strongest correlates of dropout,
reflecting several underlying factors that affect the
marginal benefits and costs of staying in school. Global and
regional evidence increasingly points to common policy
priorities for reducing dropout across Central America,
including addressing remaining gaps in access at the
pre-primary and secondary levels, improving the quality of
education at all levels, and strengthening the coverage,
targeting, and coherence of existing programs aimed at
improving education outcomes. However, additional rigorous
evaluations, including cost data, are needed to identify the
most effective specific approaches in each country. |
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