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The convergence process of compulsory schooling in Western Europe: 1950-2000

Murtin, Fabrice and Viarengo, Martina (2007) The convergence process of compulsory schooling in Western Europe: 1950-2000. Ecole Normale Supérieure working papers (2007-18). Paris School of Economics, Paris, France.

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Abstract

This paper examines the expansion of compulsory schooling in fifteen Western European countries over the period 1950-2000. We show that a convergence process of mandatory years of schooling has occurred across these countries since 1950. We argue that the major driver of this phenomenom is the existence of decreasing aggregate returns to education that have limited the extension of compulsory schooling. Then we test whether convergence still holds when confronted with other explanations described in the literature, which are respectively based on technology and trade, institutions, and the budget constraint of governments. Conditional convergence does hold and we find that openness has been another robust determinant of compulsory years of schooling, eflecting the need of education in an increasingly globalized world.

Item Type: Monograph (Working Paper)
Official URL: http://www.pse.ens.fr
Additional Information: © 2007 Fabrice Murtin and Martina Viarengo
Divisions: Centre for Economic Performance
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions
L Education > LA History of education
JEL classification: I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I2 - Education
N - Economic History > N3 - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Income, and Wealth
H - Public Economics > H4 - Publicly Provided Goods
N - Economic History > N4 - Government, War, Law, and Regulation
Date Deposited: 15 Apr 2008 09:15
Last Modified: 15 Sep 2023 23:10
URI: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/4279

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