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Forced to be Rich? Returns to Compulsory Schooling in Britain*

* This paper is a replication of an original study

Author

Listed:
  • Paul J. Devereux
  • Robert A. Hart
Abstract
Do students benefit from compulsory schooling? In an important article, Oreopoulos (2006) studied the 1947 British compulsory schooling law change and found large returns to schooling of about 15% using the General Household Survey (GHS). Re-analysing this dataset, we find much smaller returns of about 3% on average with no evidence of any positive return for women and a return for men of 4-7%. Additionally, we utilise the New Earnings Survey Panel Data-set (NESPD) that has earnings information superior to that in the GHS and find similar estimates: zero returns for women and returns of 3 to 4% for men. Copyright (C) The Author(s). Journal compilation (C) Royal Economic Society 2010.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul J. Devereux & Robert A. Hart, 2010. "Forced to be Rich? Returns to Compulsory Schooling in Britain," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 120(549), pages 1345-1364, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecj:econjl:v:120:y:2010:i:549:p:1345-1364
    as

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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Replication

    This item is a replication of:
  • Philip Oreopoulos, 2006. "Estimating Average and Local Average Treatment Effects of Education when Compulsory Schooling Laws Really Matter," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 96(1), pages 152-175, March.

    • More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J01 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics: General

    Lists

    This item is featured on the following reading lists, Wikipedia, or ReplicationWiki pages:
    1. Forced to be Rich? Returns to Compulsory Schooling in Britain (EJ 2010) in ReplicationWiki

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