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Impact evaluation
IEb17

Ready for School

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In Mozambique, only 4 out of 100 children go to preschool and very few programmes are available in rural areas where poverty is more acute. Existing evidence shows that investment in education early in life gives children a head start, and has effects on their immediate well-being and future prospects. But such evidence is not available from Africa. Are effective pre-school interventions viable in poor rural African communities?

A randomised control trial was conducted to assess the effectiveness of Save the Children’s preschool programme on children’s enrolment and readiness for primary school in rural Mozambique. This study is funded by 3ie and the World Bank Spanish Impact Evaluation Fund and is the first evaluation of an early childhood development programme in Africa.

The first issue of Evidence in Brief draws on the key findings of this 3ie supported impact evaluation.

Key findings

Children who attended preschool:

  • Are more likely to enrol in primary school at the right age. They spend more time on schooling and less time working on the family farm.
  • Show large improvements in cognitive and problem solving abilities, fine motor skills and social behaviour.
  • Are less prone to diarrhea and skin problems, though there is no evidence of positive impacts on nutrition.
  • Their siblings are more likely to go to primary school.
  • Their caregivers show improvements in parenting practices and an increase in parents' employment.

Policy impact

As a result of these findings, the Ministry of Education in Mozambique is now planning to
extend community-based preschools to 600 communities. Early childhood education was included in the country's 2012-2016 national education plan. The government has also created a national early childhood development commission.

Low-cost approaches for creating informed demand for insurance

Low-cost approaches for creating informed demand for insurance

Impact evaluation Brief 3ie 2025  
This brief discusses the findings of a randomized controlled trial that tested the effectiveness of index-based livestock insurance and its impacts.

KhetScore: Impacts of Using Digital Technologies to Unlock Credit and Insurance for Marginal Farmers in Odisha

KhetScore: Impacts of Using Digital Technologies to Unlock Credit and Insurance for Marginal Farmers in Odisha

Impact evaluation Brief 3ie 2025  
This brief disscusses the findings of an impact evaluation of KhetScore, an innovative tool that employs digital technologies to unlock credit and insurance for small and marginal farmers in the state of Odisha, India.

Picture-based crop insurance: Using smartphone camera data for claims verification in India

Picture-based crop insurance: Using smartphone camera data for claims verification in India

Impact evaluation Brief 3ie 2025  
This brief discusses the findings of an impact evaluation of a picture-based crop insurance scheme that uses smartphone camera data for claims verification in India.

Empirical assessment of EBRD’s COVID-19 response package bolstered recipient bank’s lending activities by providing essential liquidity support

Empirical assessment of EBRD’s COVID-19 response package bolstered recipient bank’s lending activities by providing essential liquidity support

Impact evaluation Brief 3ie 2024  
The authors of this brief examine the effectiveness of emergency liquidity support for improving lending and performance-related outcomes for banks under the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

Impacts of judicial reforms to address court congestion and delays in justice in the Philippines

Impacts of judicial reforms to address court congestion and delays in justice in the Philippines

Impact evaluation Brief 3ie 2021  
This brief summarizes findings from three impact evaluations that assess whether the Philippine Supreme Court-initiated reforms in technology and case management practices improve court efficiency and reduce congestion and delays.

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  • DOI : 10.23846/PB201220

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