Efficiency and quality in Colombian education: An application of the metafrontier Malmquist-Luenberger productivity index

This study uses the metafrontier Malmquist-Luenberger index to measure changes in the productivity of 4587 schools in the Colombian education system. Public and private schools are differentiated and all the schools participated in the Saber 11 standardized test between 2014 and 2017 in the subjects of mathematics, reading, sciences, social and citizen sciences and English. This methodology is appropriate to measure productivity while using good and bad outputs in the educational context. The general results indicate deterioration in both sectors; this behavior is due to the change in best practices and the change in efficiency. Large gaps are also found between departments. •We incorporate both performance and inequality to perform a fairer evaluation of the schools' productive activity.•It is the first study on educational efficiency for Colombia at the school level that includes both dimensions.•The metafrontier Malmquist Luenberger index with partial frontiers for a specific education system is applied.•The results show a better average performance change in the public than the private sector.•The public sector has a better performance change regarding equality, driven mainly by the change in efficiency.