How Free is Free Education? The Impact of Tuition on Exam Marks
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Sri Lanka’s Free Education Scheme aims to provide each child an equal opportunity at educational success, but there is debate over to what extent it succeeds in this endeavor. Notably, some critics are concerned that private spending on education (for private and international schools, universities, and tuition) may be diluting the Free Education Scheme’s ability to provide equal opportunities to all. My doctoral dissertation is composed of three studies exploring these issues. In my first study, summarized here, I found evidence that educational stratification grew stronger in Sri Lanka from 1985 to 2010. In my second study, summarized here, I found it is unlikely that private and international schools or private universities are causing educational stratification, but it is possible that tuition is an important cause. This article summarizes the final study, estimating the impact of tuition on exam marks.How Free is Free Education the Impact of Tuition on Exam Marks by Thavam Ratna
