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Literacy and primary school expansion in Portugal: 1940–62

Gomes, Pedro and Machado, M.P. (2020) Literacy and primary school expansion in Portugal: 1940–62. Revista de Historia Económica - Journal of Iberian and Latin American Economic History 38 (1), pp. 111-145. ISSN 0212-6109.

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Abstract

In 1940, the Portuguese government approved a massive primary school construction plan that projected a 60% increase in the number of primary schools. Based on the collection of a new dataset, we describe literacy levels in Portugal prior to the plan as well as the plan’s strategy regarding the location of schools. We then estimate the causal impact of the increase in the number of schools between 1940 and the early 60s on enrolment and literacy, all at the county level. We conclude the increase in the number of schools was responsible for 80% of the increase in enrolment and 13% of the increase in the literacy rate of the affected cohorts.

Metadata

Item Type: Article
Keyword(s) / Subject(s): school construction, investment in education, historical expansion of education, literacy growth, schooling expansion, primary school
School: Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Business and Law > Birkbeck Business School
Depositing User: Administrator
Date Deposited: 02 Sep 2019 08:24
Last Modified: 19 Feb 2025 07:18
URI: https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/28781

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