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Explaining Ethnic Disparities in School Enrollment in Turkey

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  • Murat G. Kırdar

Abstract

There exist remarkable differences in educational outcomes across ethnic groups in Turkey. Moreover, almost a quarter of the population of 8- to 15-year-old children belongs to ethnic minority groups. Yet, there exists no study that examines the ethnic disparities in educational outcomes in Turkey. This study presents these disparities and uncovers the factors that bring about these disparities, using a rich microlevel data set (Turkish Demographic and Health Survey). In doing so, this article examines the differences not only in the levels of enrollment but also in the timing of dropout across ethnic groups. The multivariate analysis accounts for a rich set of regional and socioeconomic factors, which also display striking differences across ethnic groups. The results show that regional and family-level characteristics can fully account for the differences in the levels of enrollment across ethnic groups for male children, but not fully for female children. In other words, ethnicity has a direct impact on girls' school enrollment but not on boys'. There exists a gender gap among ethnic Turkish children as well as ethnic Arabic and Kurdish children. However, the gender gap among ethnic Kurdish children is wider than that among ethnic Turkish children. (c) 2009 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.

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  • Murat G. Kırdar, 2009. "Explaining Ethnic Disparities in School Enrollment in Turkey," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 57(2), pages 297-333, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:ecdecc:v:57:y:2009:i:2:p:297-333
    DOI: 10.1086/592841
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    1. Murat G. Kırdar & Meltem Dayıoğlu & İsmet Koç, 2018. "The Effects of Compulsory-Schooling Laws on Teenage Marriage and Births in Turkey," Journal of Human Capital, University of Chicago Press, vol. 12(4), pages 640-668.
    2. Ayça Akarçay-Gürbüz & Sezgin Polat, 2017. "Schooling Opportunities and Intergenerational Educational Mobility in Turkey: An IV Estimation Using Census Data," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(9), pages 1396-1413, September.
    3. Oyvat, Cem & Tekgüç, Hasan, 2019. "Ethnic fractionalization, conflict and educational development in Turkey," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 41-52.
    4. Nadir Altinok & Abdurrahman Aydemir, 2015. "The Unfolding of Gender Gap in Education," Working Papers halshs-01204805, HAL.
    5. Murat G. Kirdar & Meltem Dayioglu & Ismet Koç, 2013. "Does Longer Compulsory Education Equalize Educational Attainment? Evidence From A Major Policy Reform," Working Papers 777, Economic Research Forum, revised Oct 2013.
    6. K?rdar,Murat G. & Day?o?lu,Meltem & Koç,?smet, 2015. "Does longer compulsory education equalize schooling by gender and rural/urban residence ?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7377, The World Bank.
    7. Kırdar, Murat Güray & Koç, İsmet & Dayıoğlu, Meltem, 2023. "School integration of Syrian refugee children in Turkey," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    8. Abdurrahman B. Aydemir & Hakki Yazici, 2017. "Intergenerational Education Mobility and the Level of Development: Evidence from Turkey," Koç University-TUSIAD Economic Research Forum Working Papers 1717, Koc University-TUSIAD Economic Research Forum.
    9. Motoi Kusadokoro & Ai Hasegawa, 2017. "The Influence of Internal Migration on Migrant Children’s School Enrolment and Work in Turkey," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 29(2), pages 348-368, April.
    10. Muhammad Qahraman Kakar, 2021. "Ethnic Disparities, Women Education and Empowerment in South Asia," Erudite Ph.D Dissertations, Erudite, number ph21-01 edited by Manon Domingues Dos Santos.
    11. Ayca Akarcay-Gurbuz & Sezgin Polat, 2015. "The rocky road to post-compulsory education in Turkey: Intergenerational educational mobility," Koç University-TUSIAD Economic Research Forum Working Papers 1510, Koc University-TUSIAD Economic Research Forum.
    12. Kirdar, Murat G. & Dayioglu, Meltem & Koc, Ismet, 2012. "Does longer compulsory education equalize educational attainment by gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic background?," MPRA Paper 39995, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination

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