India has come a long way in bridging the gender gap in school education. Both boys and girls now attend schools more than before (the share of children attending elementary school was 87% for boys and 85% for girls in 2017-18). However, beyond enrolment, there are a number of decisions related to a child’s education that are taken by their families. This is where the pattern in spending on education is disappointing. As per official statistics, the male child still enjoys preference over the female child. 

An analysis of the latest NSS survey[1] reveals that families’ expenditure decisions reflect this preference, both in terms of average annual investment on education and the choice/type of school. The average expenditure incurred by a family on a child’s education was higher for boys at every level of schooling, from primary to higher-secondary grades (Figure 1). For example, while the male-female gap in annual spending was around Rs. 770 at the primary level, it grew to Rs. 2,860 in higher secondary, which means that this disparity increases with higher levels of education. 

 

Figure 1: Average annual per-student expenditure by households on school education, 2017-18 (Rs.)

Source: National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), 75th round, “Household Social Consumption: Education”, 2017-18

 

Gender inequality in education expenses is also evident in the school choices made by families. At both elementary and secondary stages, a relatively higher share of boys attended private institutions. Compared to 30% boys attending private schools at the primary level, the share for girls was 27%. At the higher secondary level, the share of boys attending private schools was 28% as compared to 24% for girls. 

This is important to note because private schools are preferred by families over government schools for a host of reasons, as also revealed by the NSS survey. These include notions of higher social prestige, dissatisfaction with the quality of government schooling, availability of various facilities in private institutions, and the medium of teaching and learning being English. Thus, the gender gap hints at the willingness of families to make better quality education available for boys over girls. Moreover, even within the same type of institution (public or private school), a household is likely to carve out more funds for a male child. 

 

There are a number of decisions related to a child’s education that are taken by their families beyond enrolment.

 

A closer look reveals the extent of gender inequality across different groups as well. Inequality appears to be lower in economically better-off families, and also in urban areas as compared to rural areas. A study has found that discrimination in school education expenses was prevalent across all major states in India. However, this was relatively less prevalent in Scheduled Caste (SC) households than in progressive households[2]. Discriminatory behaviour and the prejudice increased with the size of a family, and as a child got older[3]. Also, the more the parents’ are educated, the less the likelihood of discrimination. 

The priority given to educating the male child  means that opportunities for other children remain limited. Sustained efforts at awareness generation on the importance of quality education for all children irrespective of gender and identity, need to be implemented. We will discuss some reasons behind the tendency to invest more resources towards education of a male-child in Indian households (and possible ways forward) in our next blog. 

Mridusmita is a Senior Researcher at the Accountability Initiative, and Rukmini Bhugra was a Research Intern. 

With editorial inputs of Avantika Shrivastava.

 

Notes:

[1] National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), 75th round, “Household Social Consumption: Education”, 2017-18, MoSPI, Government of India

[2] Saha, A. (2013). An assessment of gender discrimination in household expenditure on education in India. Oxford Development Studies, 41(2), 220-238.

[3] Azam, M., & Kingdon, G. G. (2013). Are girls the fairer sex in India? Revisiting intra-household allocation of education expenditure. World Development, 42, 143–164