Full-day school programs and higher education: Evidence from Peru

Salas García V.B.; Vega Acuña G.; Seminario Solano S.; Morales Mendoza S. · World Development (2026) · DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2026.107499

Resumen

Full-day school programs aim to promote development by improving students’ learning outcomes. We estimate the impact of Peru's full-day secondary school reform, Jornada Escolar Completa (JEC), on higher education attainment. Using data from the Young Lives Study, we construct a grouped-sibling sample linking younger siblings who could attend JEC secondary schools with their older siblings who did not attend. The identification strategy relies on within-household variation and a difference-in-differences framework comparing changes in higher education attainment between households affected and not affected by the JEC program. We find that JEC increases the likelihood of pursuing higher education, with effects concentrated in technical rather than university studies. Our findings also suggest larger gains among students from disadvantaged backgrounds, pointing to the potential of JEC to narrow inequalities in access to higher education. Time-use data show that JEC students remain engaged in learning, with no increase in absenteeism or decline in study time at home. Rather, they compensate for longer school days by cutting back on leisure and work activities. Overall, the evidence indicates that the JEC program increases educational attainment, with extended instructional time likely being one contributing factor among other improvements in school resources. JEC's effects on upward mobility, however, may remain limited without complementary measures that ease access to university education.

Instituciones: Universidad de Piura