Education Setting and Human Capital

This thesis contributes to the study of the education setting and human capital. It focuses on the role of the study environment and investigates the consequences of overseas study and home study on human capital development. The thesis consists of three chapters. The first explores the consequences of studying abroad on marriage outcomes, while the second and third examine the effects of school closures on children. The first paper examines the impact of studying abroad on marriage outcomes. Using data from the China Household Finance Survey, it shows that individuals with international study experience are 4.7 percentage points less likely to get married, with the effect particularly pronounced among men and postgraduates. The second and third studies focus on the effects of school closures on children’s daily activities and mental health. Using data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study, Chapter 2 finds that screen time increased during the second school closure, while family dinner frequency was higher during the first closure. Chapter 3 estimates the causal impact of school closures in the post-lockdown period on children’s mental health using data from UKHLS, attendance statistics from the Department for Education, and geographic data from the Office for National Statistics. The findings indicate that school-aged children living in areas with varying levels of school closures in the post-lockdown period exhibit different mental health outcomes; however, school closures themselves do not directly impact mental health.