RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 School Choice and Educational Mobility: Lessons from Secondary School Applications in Ghana
JF Journal of Human Resources
JO J Hum Resour
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 0417-8714R2
DO 10.3368/jhr.0417-8714R2
A1 Ajayi, Kehinde F.
YR 2022
UL http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2022/03/31/jhr.0417-8714R2.abstract
AB Merit-based school choice often presents an unfulfilled promise of educational mobility. In Ghana, where a standardized exam determines secondary school admission, students from low-performing elementary schools apply to weaker secondary schools than equally qualified students from high-performing elementary schools. This paper investigates why students with the same academic potential make different application choices. I outline a theoretical model and empirical strategy to analyze heterogeneity in student demand. Using administrative data, I show that disadvantaged students value school proximity more and live farther away from high-performing schools, suggesting the interaction between demand and the spatial distribution of schools limits educational mobility.