Land Certification and Schooling in strongRuralstrong Ethiopia.pdf

WORKING PAPERS IN ECONOMICS No 628 Land Certification and Schooling in Rural Ethiopia Heather Congdon Fors, Kenneth Houngbedji and Annika Lindskog September 2015 ISSN 1403-2473 (print) ISSN 1403-2465 (online) Department of Economics School of Business, Economics and Law at University of Gothenburg Vasagatan 1, PO Box 640, SE 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden +46 31 786 0000, +46 31 786 1326 (fax) www.handels.gu.se info@handels.gu.se Land Certification and Schooling in Rural Ethiopia HEATHER CONGDON FORS , KENNETH HOUNGBEDJI and ANNIKA LINDSKOG Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, University of Gothenburg Paris School of Economics September 2015 Abstract This paper investigates the impact of a rural Ethiopian land certification program on schooling. Our hypothesis is that formal property rights facilitate land inheri- tance, reducing the net benefit of schooling for children who will inherit the land. Formal rights also decrease the need for activities to secure continued access to the land, reducing the cost of schooling for all children. The results suggest a positive overall effect on school enrollment. However, grade progress of oldest sons, who are most likely to inherit the land, worsens. Our complementary analysis on child labor suggests a differential impact in the two zones studied. Keywords: Schooling; Child labor; Land administration; Property