Who makes it to secondary school? Determinants of transition to secondary schools in rural India

Despite considerable progress made, a significant proportion of children continue to drop out before reaching secondary school in India. This study investigates factors influencing parental decision-making with regard to children's secondary schooling in the context of a rural area of Uttar Pradesh. The study finds that cost, distance to the nearest secondary school, membership in traditionally marginalised social groups, and being a girl child have a significant effect on a child's chance of transition. It also finds that factors influencing participation at the primary level may influence the transition decision, having key implications for education policy formulation across education levels.

Research highlights▶ The study examined factors affecting transition to secondary level in rural India. ▶ The effect of distance and cost on the transition to secondary schools has been examined using logit regression. ▶ The additional cost and distance required to access the nearest secondary school significantly influence transition decision. ▶ The negative impact of increased distance and cost are most detrimental for girls and children from minority groups.