Building schools in poor towns helps children and their children, for decades

Chile built thousands of new primary school classrooms in poor communities in the mid-1960s. This investment significantly improved the education and job prospects for the children who attended them, and also for their own children.

Governments often debate whether to invest in social programs or infrastructure. This paper shows that building basic infrastructure like schools can have benefits that last for generations. It also shows that these benefits can be measured in real economic terms, not just abstract social good.