Teachers, Electoral Cycles, and Learning in India

A-Tier
Journal: Journal of Human Resources
Year: 2020
Volume: 55
Issue: 2

Authors (2)

Sonja Fagernäs (not in RePEc) Panu Pelkonen (University of Sussex)

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Teachers are central for learning, but their hiring and management can be influenced by political factors, especially when they are civil servants. Using an administrative school-level panel data set for India, we find significant increases in teacher transfers and moderate increases in hiring after state elections. The timing of these elections is pre-determined and staggered across states. The reorganization of teachers is partly related to political turnover. Pupils’ test scores are also up to 0.15 standard deviations lower in the post-election phase. Following a range of estimations for alternative explanations, we conclude that the reorganization of teachers can disrupt learning.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:uwp:jhriss:v:55:y:2020:i:2:p:699-732
Journal Field
Labor
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-29