The impact of school vouchers in developing countries: A systematic review

We report on a systematic review of evaluations of education voucher programs in developing countries. Extensive searching identified two studies that met inclusion criteria one examining the Colombia PACES program and the other evaluating the Quetta, Pakistan Urban Fellowship program. Both programs increased private school enrollment among the countries' poorest income groups, thus probably improving equity. The Pakistan program resulted in girls being educated for less than it would have cost for the government to create public school spaces, while the Colombia program cost more, but will most likely prove cost-effective in terms of long-term economic gains. More rigorous research in developing country contexts is necessary to determine whether the gains from these two programs can be replicated and enhanced. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.