By Dana Burde and Leigh L. Linden *
We conduct a randomized evaluation of the effect of village-based
schools on children’s academic performance using a sample of 31
villages and 1,490 children in rural northwestern Afghanistan. The
program significantly increases enrollment and test scores among
all children, but particularly for girls. Girls’ enrollment increases by
52 percentage points and their average test scores increase by 0.65
standard deviations. The effect is large enough that it eliminates
the gender gap in enrollment and dramatically reduces differences
in test scores. Boys’ enrollment increases by 35 percentage points,
and average test scores increase by 0.40 standard deviations.
(JEL I21, J16, O15, O18)
