Published on May 7, 2026 – Updated on May 7, 2026
Location
Pôle Tertiaire - Site La Rotonde - 26 avenue Léon Blum - 63000 Clermont-Ferrand
Salle 212

Research Seminar. Should LMICs Build Preschools, Improve Primary Education, or Do Both? Experimental Evidence from Côte d'Ivoire


Sébastien Michel 
Nantes Université

Abstract

We partnered with the Government of Côte d’Ivoire to conduct a randomized controlled trial measuring the respective impact of opening preschools, implementing a comprehensive multi-faceted intervention to enhance the quality of primary education, and doing both concomitantly. We collected follow-up data four years after the interventions began. When implemented individually, both interventions enhanced children’s skills, boosting scores of 6- and 7-year-olds by 0.23–0.26σ at follow-up, with the greatest gains among lower-ability children. However, when the interventions were implemented together, children’s skills did not improve beyond what each intervention achieved individually, highlighting the possible substitutability of educational investments. While the preschool intervention proved more cost-effective during the pilot phase, evidence suggests this may not always hold true, calling for careful consideration of trade-offs in LMICs seeking to expand preschool access.

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