Poster Presentation (Core time: 11:45-12:45)

[1R20] Determinants of Pre-primary School Types in Bangladesh Under Universal Pre-primary Education Policy

*Kohei UNO¹ (1. Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies, Kobe University)

Keywords:Pre-primary education, Bangladesh, Access to education

Pre-primary school is a strong determinant of primary school performance and has the highest rate of return and potential to reduce inequality within and among countries. Therefore, many governments in LMICs have prioritized pre-primary education, including Bangladesh. Under such a situation, parents have to make decisions on pre-primary school. This study aims to examine the influential factors that determine pre-primary school choice under the universal pre-primary education policy in Bangladesh, focusing on pre-primary school types and its quality. To examine the determinants of pre-primary school type, this study uses the multinomial logit model for four-year-old children and probit model for five-year-old children. “Bangladesh Early Years Preschool Program Impact Evaluation (EYPP-BGD)”, which was conducted in the Meherour districts in Bangladesh and supported by the American Institutes for Research and the World Bank from 2017 to 2019. The findings show that a father’s education level significantly predicts enrollment in private pre-primary schools. In contrast, the mother’s education level is not related to pre-primary school choice as well as pre-primary school expenditures. The findings show that richer household children are more likely to be enrolled in private pre-primary schools and spend more on school expenditures. Children from higher SES are more likely to attend private pre-primary school as well as a school with expensive school fees.