Can Solar Lanterns Improve Youth Academic Performance? : Experimental Evidence from Bangladesh
This study conducted an experimental intervention in unelectrified areas of northern Bangladesh to investigate the effectiveness of solar products in improving children's educational achievement. It found that treated households substituted so...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2017
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/383691485359939547/Can-solar-lanterns-improve-youth-academic-performance-experimental-evidence-from-Bangladesh http://hdl.handle.net/10986/25962 |
| Summary: | This study conducted an experimental
intervention in unelectrified areas of northern Bangladesh
to investigate the effectiveness of solar products in
improving children's educational achievement. It found
that treated households substituted solar lanterns for
kerosene-based lighting products, helping to decrease total
household expenditure. Solar lanterns increased the
children's home-study hours, particularly at night and
before exams. The solar lanterns initially led to an
increase in school attendance, but this effect diminished
over time. However, the increased study hours and initial
improvement in school attendance did not translate into
improved academic performance. Varying the number of solar
products within the treated households did not alter these
results. Analyses that exploited the school grade treatment
intensity also provided no evidence suggesting that
spillover effects explained the "no academic
performance effects." These findings suggest that
improving the home-study environment solely through the
provision of solar products may have a limited impact on
children's educational achievement. |
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