The Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Global Change is holding the event entitled "Children's role in local politics about education reform in Ethiopia" on Thursday, November 7 from 4:00 to 5:00pm in 1210 Heller Hall. Kate Orkin, Research Fellow, Department of Economics, Cambridge University, will be presenting.
Research on education in developing countries has overlooked children's ability to influence policy decisions at school level. Using Young Lives panel data for 2002-2009 plus qualitative data, Orkin shows that when principals, teachers, parents and children resisted controversial federal reform initiatives, the central government often adapted or abandoned reforms in response. Although the children interviewed were in primary school, they appear to have been viewed as an important potential political constituency.
