Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0 Series: Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers Creation-Date: 2009-11-13 Number: 09-100/3 Author-Name: Elbert Dijkgraaf Author-Workplace-Name: Erasmus University Rotterdam Author-Name: Raymond H.J.M. Gradus Author-Workplace-Name: VU University Amsterdam, and Erasmus University Rotterdam Author-Name: Matthijs de Jong Author-Workplace-Name: Erasmus University Rotterdam Title: Competition and Educational Quality: Evidence from The Netherlands Abstract: This discussion paper resulted in a publication in Empirica, 40, 607-34. Ample evidence is available for the effect of competition on educational quality as only a few countries allow large scale competition. In the Netherlands free parental choice is present since the beginning of the 20th century, which can be characterized as a full voucher program with 100% funding. Based on panel data for the Netherlands we show that there is a relation between competition and educational outcomes in secondary education, but that it is negative and small. This effect is larger for small and medium sized schools and for schools which do not have a Protestant or Catholic denomination. Classification-JEL: H70, I20 Keywords: Competition, Private Schools, Scale, Quality, Secondary Education File-Url: https://papers.tinbergen.nl/09100.pdf File-Format: application/pdf File-Size: 206300 bytes Handle: RePEc:tin:wpaper:20090100