Timing Matters: The Effects of Climatic Events on Schooling in Nigeria

• In Event: 20463 - Population Processes Across the Life Course

Abstract

As extreme weather events become more frequent in Sub-Saharan Africa, scholars have increasingly examined the effects of climatic conditions on school attendance. At present, findings about the effects of climate shocks on education remain inconsistent, with studies reporting both negative and positive effects of climate shocks on education. Accurately capturing how climatic events impact schooling requires accurate measurement of climatic events. This paper identifies an overlooked measurement issue: the timing of climatic events relative to the timing of survey data collection. Using four waves of panel data from the Nigerian Living Standards Measurement Study – Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) and high- resolution Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) data, we analyze how the impact of dry and wet conditions on school attendance shifts depending on when surveys are conducted within the agricultural calendar. Our preliminary results indicate that climatic shocks during critical agricultural periods (e.g., harvest vs. pre-school months) affect school attendance differently based on when the survey is administered. Our findings have implications for both research methodology and educational policy in climate-vulnerable regions.

Authors

• Julia A Behrman, Northwestern University

• Liliana Andriano, University of Southampton

• Vineet Xie-Gupta, Northwestern University