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Household Headship and Academic Skills of Indian Children: A Special Focus on Gender Disparities
[Sexe du chef de ménage et compétences scolaires des enfants indiens : une analyse des disparités entre sexe]

Author

Listed:
  • Ashish Singh

    (Azim Premji University)

  • Sarthak Gaurav

    (London School of Economics)

  • Upasak Das

    (Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Goregaon (E))

Abstract

Using multivariate analyses and reading, mathematics and writing scores of children (aged 8–11 years) from a nationally representative sample, we find that children from female headed households either perform better or similar, but never worse than those from male headed households. Also, household fixed effect analysis reveals no gender disparity in academic scores of children belonging to female headed households, a case not true for children from male headed households. We relate this finding to gender parity in educational expenditure on children in female headed households against gender disparity in the same in households headed by males. Based on our findings we also offer some policy suggestions.

Suggested Citation

  • Ashish Singh & Sarthak Gaurav & Upasak Das, 2013. "Household Headship and Academic Skills of Indian Children: A Special Focus on Gender Disparities [Sexe du chef de ménage et compétences scolaires des enfants indiens : une analyse des disparités en," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 29(4), pages 445-466, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:eurpop:v:29:y:2013:i:4:d:10.1007_s10680-013-9288-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s10680-013-9288-3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. 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.
    2. Upasak Das & Udaya S. Mishra, 2020. "Towards Conceptualization of a Household Educational Indicator: Incorporating Externalities," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 150(1), pages 289-309, July.
    3. Akanksha Choudhary & Ashish Singh, 2018. "Effect of intergenerational educational mobility on health of Indian women," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(9), pages 1-16, September.
    4. Clifford Odimegwu & Oluwaseyi Dolapo Somefun & Joshua Akinyemi, 2017. "Gender Differences in the Effect of Family Structure on Educational Outcomes Among Nigerian Youth," SAGE Open, , vol. 7(4), pages 21582440177, November.
    5. Saima Nawaz & Nasir Iqbal, 2016. "Education Poverty in Pakistan: A Spatial Analysis at District Level," Indian Journal of Human Development, , vol. 10(2), pages 270-287, August.

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