Review of evidence on targeted funding to improve attendance and participation

This chapter is the first to provide substantive results from our new research. It describes first the methods used, and then the evidence from a large-scale and worldwide structured review of promising interventions to increase school enrolment and attendance. The work is largely based on, and especially relevant to, school systems which are less developed in terms of attendance. The themes covered include creating new schools and school places, making schooling free at point of delivery, cash transfers to families or students conditional on attendance, and related ideas. The chapter ends by considering how cash transfers are best delivered and whether parents, children, or schools should be the recipients.