Educational Fairness: What Matters in Benin Households

In Benin, kids' educational luck often depends on their gender and birth order, especially in homes with less-educated parents. A study found that 70% of the differences in education levels among siblings stem from these factors. However, in families where parents have college degrees, these effects shrink to just 33%. This shows that education levels of parents play a big role in how fairly educational resources are shared among kids. The study also looked at what could help reduce these inequalities. They found that policies like education vouchers, making school mandatory, and reducing school costs for less-educated parents could make a real difference. These policies could help close the gap caused by gender and birth order. This research highlights how complex family dynamics can affect kids' education and points to ways to make things fairer.