CSPIWB · Learning under Conflict: Effects of political violence on the educational attainment of Palestinian students in the West Bank

Learning under Conflict: Effects of political violence on the educational attainment of Palestinian students in the West Bank

Conflicts can have long-lasting adverse impacts on individual and aggregate human capital accumulation. One particularly important aspect of human capital accumulation in conflict-ridden societies is educational attainment and performance which are important stepping stones for future labour market outcomes. Unfortunately, empirical evidence on the effects of conflict on educational outcomes is limited due to the poor quality of data in conflict-ridden settings. Most existing studies use conflict-related fatalities as the only measure of conflict, overlooking the role of conflict infrastructure such as wall, buffer zones, and checkpoints which often restrict mobility and result in social and economic divisions. This project examines the causal effect of the Israeli-Palestinian (IP) conflict on the achievements of Palestinian high school students in their final exams (the Tawjihi General Examination or TGE) that conclude the high school degree. A defining feature of the IP conflict is the pervasive system of physical barriers put in place in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) and the construction of the separation wall since 2002. The most prominent of these physical barriers are checkpoints, infrastructures manned by security personnel who conduct checks on commuters. Figure 1 below shows the evolution of physical barriers from the start (2000) and end (20006) of the sample period. The maps indicate the location of checkpoints in red circles and other physical barriers (roadblocks, earth mounds, gates) in smaller yellow circles. The maps indicate the increase in the number of physical barriers over time across the West Bank. Figure 2 provides further evidence on how the number of physical barriers changed over time. For example, the number of checkpoints increased from 30 to 69 over the sample period. The objectives of this project are as follows. First, using a wide variety of novel data sources, this project examines the causal impact of the IP conflict on the education of Palestinian high school students in the West Bank. Second, this project investigates whether these impacts are heterogeneous. For example, the impacts might differ by gender and the educational track of the student. Third, this project aims to understand the mechanisms through which this effect occurs. The mechanisms of interest include the school learning environment and the psychological wellbeing of the students. Overall, the empirical findings of this project will be informative to policymakers, academics, and the public. The novel data sources provide new insight on the impact of one of the longest-lasting conflicts. By understanding the mechanisms driving such effects, this project will be informative about potential routes and policies to mitigate such effects. Moreover, learning about the effects of conflict on high school achievements is crucial to better understand the impact of a violent conflict on the development prospects of an economy, since high-school students represent a substantial part of the future human capital of the country.

Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз