Impact of Natural Disasters on School Attendance: A Comparative Study from Colonial Jamaica

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of hurricanes on school attendance in Jamaica from 1892 to 1942, a period marked by significant natural disasters. By integrating monthly school attendance data with assessments of potential storm destruction, the paper quantifies the effect of hurricanes on school attendance. The average effect of a category two hurricane was a 9.1% decrease in school attendance in the month of the hurricane, followed by decreases of 8.6% and 7.2% in the following two months. Mediation analysis further indicates a decline in school performance by up to 3.23%, indirectly caused by decreased school attendance.

Keywords: Growth, Natural Disasters, Environmental Economic History, Education