We combine phone-survey data from 2,200 students collected in July-August of 2020 with student-level administrative data from 54 schools in four Northwestern provinces of Cambodia to investigate the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for grade 9 students. These students were particularly vulnerable to dropping out of school prematurely due to the crisis. We find that most students kept studying during the crisis, returned to school to participate in the lower-secondary graduation exam after schools reopened, and transitioned to high school thereafter. However, we also find that students’ exposure to the economic downturn had substantial implications: The likelihood that the father experienced income losses due to the crisis is negatively associated with a student’s propensity to study during school closure, participation and performance in the final exam, and with the likelihood to transition to high school. In contrast, the likelihood that the mother experienced income losses is positively associated with studentstudying during the crisis, with participation in the final exam and with transition to high school — potentially because mothers used the time at home to encourage their children to study.
We analyze whether an interest exploration tool, combined with information about potential careers, paths to higher education and ?financing options can provide guidance to students in rural Cambodia, help them develop long-term career goals and thereby motivate them to continue with school. We target the intervention to adolescents in grade 9, who are about to decide whether to enroll in high school. The intervention was conducted just before schools were closedfor a period of six months due to COVID-19. We use survey data, as well as individual-level administrative data obtained from treatment and control schools to track educational decisions during and after school closure. Our fi?ndings suggest that the intervention if at all reduced educational investments. We fi?nd these effects are driven by low-performing students. Students that ranked in the lower half of their class prior to the intervention are less likely to study during school closure, perform worse in the ?final exam and are less likely to transition to high school. Studying potential underlying mechanisms, our analyses suggest that our intervention made low-performing students aware of alternative career paths and more realistic in their expectations.
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