SIEF Seminar: Investing in Private Sector Education: Evidence from 20+ years of research

Investing in Private Sector Education: Evidence from 20+ years of research

Presenter: Jishnu Das Tuesday, July 14, 2026 10:00 AM | (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)

Abstract

Today, 38% of primary school–age children in South Asia and 14% in Sub-Saharan Africa attend private schools. Given the increasing prevalence of private schooling, what should governments, donors and other stakeholders do? Drawing from more than 20 years of research,* this talk summarizes what we know about human capital markets and how to improve educational outcomes in these markets. A key message is that private schools strategically choose their performance levels in response to their public and private competitors. Frequently advanced programs, such as vouchers or other forms of public funding for private schools, may reduce competition and worsen performance when not designed for a particular market context. In contrast, SIEF-funded research in Pakistan demonstrates that interventions explicitly designed to spur competition and address constraints faced by households and schools can lead to substantial gains in educational outcomes.

Presentation slides: Download here Research papers:

Upping the Ante: The Equilibrium Effects of Unconditional Grants to Private Schools (American Economic Review, 2020)

Helping Schools Survive: Experimental Evidence on the Impact of Financial and Educational Support to Private Schools (NBER Working Paper, 2025)

Speakers

Presenter: Jishnu Das, Distinguished Professor of Public Policy, Georgetown University

Discussant: Toby Linden, Practice Manager, East Europe and Central Asia, World Bank

Chair: Alaka Holla, Lead Economist and Program Manager, World Bank