ABSTRACT
Using the panel data of 480 parents in 30 villages in Loitokitok, Kenya, in 2018 and 2019, we investigate the influence of information on collective action in school, as well as parents’ awareness on performance. Information sharing through text messages alone did not increase the overall level of parental financial contributions and attendance of school meetings. Although the majority of parents could not internalize information, those who were aware of school and child performance improved the accuracy of the information through receipt of text messages. Accuracy of parental information exhibited different patterns before and after the intervention involving information sharing through text messages. Such accuracy had no relationship with financial contributions during the baseline, but the parents with accurate data on child performance contributed more to school after the intervention. The cross-lagged analysis indicated that parents who had accurate information on their school and child’s educational performance at the baseline contributed less to school at the end line. This finding suggests that the parents who received such information were disappointed with the school’s performance and diverted their financial resources to other aspects that may specifically affect their children, to avoid collective action.
