The determinants of student achievement in government and private schools in Pakistan

This paper analyses the determinants of pupil achievement of middle school students using purpose-built data collected on 8th grade pupils in private and government schools in urban and rural Lahore (2002-2003). It tests the veracity of the anecdotal concern that private school pupils learn more than their government school counterparts, by estimating OLS education production function on students in both school types. The paper also examines whether teacher and school factors commonly used to measure school quality are significant in explaining variations in student achievement within the government and private sectors. Additionally, the paper focuses on the importance of student school attendance in explaining Maths and Reading skills. The data suggest that private schools are more effective than government schools in imparting Maths and Reading skills to pupils. The results also suggest that conventional teacher variables (such as pay and training) are poor indicators of teacher quality in both school types. Finally, student absenteeism appears to negatively affect pupils learning in Maths in government and private schools. (Pak Development Rev/DÜI)