Abstract

The “resource curse” literature links dependence on minerals to worsening socio-economic outcomes, including education. Copper mining has been the backbone of the Zambian economy for almost a century. This study assesses the impact of large-scale mining activities on schooling in Zambia at the local level since the 1920s. In regression analyses I control for a set of geographic variables as well as early mission location. Contrary to what previous African economic history literature has claimed, early mission location has no effect on the comparative development of education. On the other hand, mine areas overtake non-mine areas in education levels soon after mine openings. The mechanisms explored include income and wealth, urbanization, relatively skill-intensive job opportunities, and supply of schooling by state and mine companies in mine-proximate areas.