Contract Type and Teacher Absenteeism in Benin: The Role of Teacher’s Supplemental Income
Loading...
Date
2020-11-15
Authors
Senou, Barthelemy Mahugnon
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
African Economic Research consortium
Abstract
Absenteeism is a phenomenon that has been noted in professional circles
with consequences on the income of the wage earner as well as the profits of
the firm, consequences that led, according to statistics from 2005, to losses
in public finance amounting to close to 70 billion francs for the Government
of Benin. Despite such losses, very few studies in economics have focused on
the subject to try and give an understanding of the real causes of absenteeism
and its consequences. The objective of this study is to explore the relationship
between the status of the teacher, supplemental income of the teacher, and
the absenteeism of the teacher. Using data from PASEC-CONFEMEN 2005, that
will be applied to a theoretical model that we are developing, and through the use
of a Tobit empirical method, after having taken the endogeneity bias on the practice
of supplemental income generating activities by the teacher into account, this
study demonstrates that the practice of income generating activities by teachers
positively influences their absenteeism, with contract teachers being more frequently
absent than those who are on permanent and pensionable employment contracts.
Through linking the level of prices in a locality with absenteeism behaviours, we
make it clear that the reasons for absenteeism are mostly related to low purchasing
power in the context of earning relatively meagre salaries. These results elicit a set
of recommendations that essentially suggest that there should be an improvement
in the salaries and working conditions of teachers.