This paper measures the impact on its first cohort of beneficiaries of the Jornada Escolar Completa (JEC) reform in Peru which lengthened the school day and invested in pedagogy, staffing and infrastructure.

The authors found that the programme increased maths and reading test scores by approximately 0.185 SD and 0.102 SD, respectively. For maths only, they estimate that instructional time contributes approximately two-thirds of the effect, suggesting the importance of complementary inputs. The reform effectively enhanced school resources and increased students’ overall study time. Relative to other education interventions in low- and middle-income countries, the programme delivered above-average learning gains but was relatively expensive.

The article is available in the Journal of Human Resources (download fee applies).