Presentation Title: Broadcasting Education at Scale: The Long-Term Effects of Television-Based Schools
Abstract:
Delivering educational content through digital technologies has been hailed as a solution for areas with limited budgets or a shortage of qualified teachers. This paper investigates the educational and labor market impacts of the at-scale expansion of Mexico’s telesecundarias, lower secondary schools that substitute on-site subject-specialized teachers with televised content. We analyze the causal effects of the 1980–2000 telesecundaria rollout by exploiting geographical differences in the intensity of school openings and cohort exposure. Childhood exposure to high telesecundaria construction increased educational attainment, labor market participation, and earnings in adulthood. Analysis of sectoral composition shows a significant increase in the share of individuals working in services.
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