The Within-household Schooling Decision: A Study of Children in Rural Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

Using microdata from a field survey of children in rural Andhra Pradesh, India, we estimate econometric models which aim to identify the key explanatory factors in the school versus out-of-school dichotomy. The approach differs from that of many other previous studies of child schooling, by focusing on the effects of sibling competition within the household. The value of this approach is confirmed by our findings that the schooling decision depends as much on the child's characteristics and position within the household, as on the circumstances of the household taken as a unit.