NOVAFRICA Working Paper: “Mobilizing Parents at Home and at School: An Experiment on Primary Education in Angola”

A new working paper has been added to the NOVAFRICA Working Papers Series. Written by Vincenzo Di Maro, Stefan Leeffers, Danila Serra and Pedro C. Vicente, this paper tests ways to mobilize parents for education in Angola.

Title: Mobilizing Parents at Home and at School: An Experiment on Primary Education in Angola

Authors:
Vincenzo Di Maro (The World Bank)
Stefan Leeffers (Nova SBE and NOVAFRICA)
Danila Serra (Texas A&M University)
Pedro C. Vicente (Nova SBE, BREAD and NOVAFRICA)

Abstract:

In this paper we test ways to mobilize parents for education. We implemented a field experiment in 126 Angolan primary schools, including three treatments: an information campaign at home, simple parents’ meetings at school, and the combination of both. Our measures of parental mobilization include beneficial practices at home, contacts with teachers, and participation in school institutions. We find that the information increased parents’ involvement at home but had no impact on engagement at school, while the meetings had the opposite effects. After mobilizing parents, the combined treatment improved management practices and facilities in schools, teachers’ attitudes, and parents’ satisfaction.

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