A recent analysis highlights the promising impacts of television-based teaching, an area ripe with opportunities for future research
Audio file
Read “Broadcasting Human Capital? The Long-Term Effects of Mexico’s Telesecundarias” by Raissa Fabregas here.
Telesecundarias, or middle schools with lectures transmitted through satellite television, are attended by about 20%—or nearly 1.4 million—of Mexico’s middle school students. This approach has been celebrated for its scalability and ability to provide rural learners with more specialised instruction.
In this VoxDevTalk, Raissa Fabregas discusses her analysis of comparative data from the introduction of telesecundarias to identify clear gains on educational attainment (including school completion and high school enrolment) and labour market outcomes. Some evidence suggests positive impacts on housing quality and a reduced need for social assistance. However, this instructional approach is not without challenges, like reduced flexibility, quality concerns, and gender-differentiated impacts.
Further assessment, she notes, remains critical as demand for continuing education grows in low- and middle-income countries, variations in access to resources further reinforces the need to reach learners at scale in cost-effective and creative ways.