Extending the School Day in Latin America and the Caribbean

Holland, Peter ; Alfaro, Pablo ; Evans, David K.

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: SKILLS;    EMPLOYMENT;    CAREGIVERS;    PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS;    BASIC EDUCATION;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-7309
RP-ID  :  WPS7309

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

Countries throughout Latin America andthe Caribbean are reforming their education systems with theview of adding more hours to the school day. This paperexamines the existing evidence on the relationship betweeninstructional time and student learning, and reviews 15studies measuring the effects of longer school days. Itdraws on examples throughout the region to characterizedifferences in the implementation of extended school dayprograms, and provides one detailed case study andcost-effectiveness exercise (for Uruguay). While theevidence suggests positive impacts across a range of outcomevariables, including gains in student learning, reductionsin repetition and dropout, and reductions in teenagepregnancy, there is considerable heterogeneity acrossprograms and studies. Even using the most optimistic impactestimates, a cost-effectiveness exercise suggests that thereare likely many more cost-effective reforms to achievesimilar effects. The paper concludes with a discussion ofthe implications for policy makers and practitionersconsidering an extension of the school day.