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Revisiting the Role of Private Schooling on Children Learning Outcomes: Evidence from Rural India

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  • Karan Singhal
  • Upasak Das

Abstract

In the view of increasing preference of private schooling in India, this article assesses its impact on learning outcomes for rural children from 8 to 11 years. Despite earlier attempts to study the issue, this article stands out in two ways. Firstly, it addresses the problems arising because of non-random selection of children attending private schools. Secondly, it also presents an all-India estimate unlike most studies which have dealt largely with few states. Our results show the performance of children attending private school to be significantly better than those from public schools. This difference is evident among ‘low-fee’ private schools as well. However the private schooling premium differ across regions and groups, and there are several other concerns regarding affordability, access and segregation which require further deliberation and debate. JEL: I2, I21, I28

Suggested Citation

  • Karan Singhal & Upasak Das, 2019. "Revisiting the Role of Private Schooling on Children Learning Outcomes: Evidence from Rural India," South Asia Economic Journal, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, vol. 20(2), pages 274-302, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:soueco:v:20:y:2019:i:2:p:274-302
    DOI: 10.1177/1391561419853678
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    Cited by:

    1. Justine Herve & Subha Mani & Jere Behrman & Arindam Nandi & Anjana Sankhil Lamkang & Ramanan Laxminarayan, 2021. "Gender Gaps in Cognitive and Noncognitive Skills: Roles of SES and Gender Attitudes," PIER Working Paper Archive 21-007, Penn Institute for Economic Research, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania.
    2. Chayanika Mitra & Indrani Sengupta & Pradeep Kumar Choudhury, 2022. "An analysis of school shifting patterns in India: what do recent data tell us?," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 24(2), pages 295-318, December.
    3. Kumar, Deepak & Choudhury, Pradeep Kumar, 2021. "Do private schools really produce more learning than public schools in India? Accounting for student’s school absenteeism and the time spent on homework," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    4. Paul Ronak & Rashmi, 2021. "Is educational wellbeing associated with grade repetition and school dropout rates among Indian students? Evidence from a panel study," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 19(1), pages 503-543.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Learning outcomes; private schooling; education; rural India; endogeneity; treatment–effect model;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy

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