Incentive schemes for school attendance in rural Bangladesh

This paper examines the impact of two incentive schemes on school attendance in rural Bangladesh: a food-for-education program for poor primary school children and a female secondary school scholarship scheme. The data come from an in-depth village study before and after the programs went into effect. Both programs provide direct financial incentives to families to send their children to and keep them in school. The data also allow for an assessment of an informal school program sponsored by BRAC a national nongovernmental institution at the study sites. School enrollment in the target population increased more rapidly than would have been predicted by long-term trends and coincided with the introduction of the incentives. Furthermore the school incentives resulted in marriage delays for young girls. Qualitative evidence also documents a change in perceptions about the importance of education for underprivileged groups in society. (authors)