EFFECT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION ON LATER EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT IN CASE OF MAJOR FOUR REGIONS AND ADDIS ABABA CITY ADMINISTRATION

Abstract

This paper using data from the Young Lives longitudinal survey in Ethiopia, examines the effect of preschool attendance on Later Educational Achievement of Urban children on young cohort, were children between the age of 6 and 18 months during the first round of the survey which was conducted in the year 2002. Then these households and later on their children are surveyed in three different rounds. These survey rounds happened in the years 2002, 2006, 2009 and 2013. For the current analysis we use information from the surveys conducted in the years 2006 and 2013. From all regions Addis Ababa, Amhara, Oromia, SNNP and Tigray number of resident randomly selected from each region are 267, 76, 81,165 and 83 selected respectively. Total of 672 residents randomly selected from all regions. The young cohort of children is randomly selected from some 20 communities in the four main regions of Ethiopia and the Addis Ababa city administration. The regions are Amhara, Oromia, SNNP and Tigray. Measured by Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) test, Peabody Picture Vocabulary test (PPVT) and Regression for Math test. We used Ordinary Least Square regression model to estimate the impact of Preschool. The result shows preschool attendance has a statistically significant on children’s later educational achievement age between 5 and 12. Overall, the findings suggest that a significant part of children’s educational inequalities at later ages are explained by the level of early childhood investment.